Occurus superbia
by i-dreamdragon
Summary: Loki sits in Asgardian jail, awaiting his trial. But when judgement is finally cast upon him, his "Father" strips him of his power and he is cast out to Midgard. The once prideful and arrogant Loki now has to learn to deal with his own humanity. Frostiron.
1. Chapter 1

This is the first fan fiction I have made, so please be gentle. I'm hoping to have the second chapter up next week, or perhaps earlier.

And in no way do I own the avengers or any of their characters.

Chapter One

It had been seventeen days since Thor – his so-called "brother" – brought him back to Asgard. His arrival was silent. Nobody waited for them. There were no bystanders and no Odin Allfather looking down upon him. He'd expected more of a crowd to come and see the kind of monster he'd turned into during such a short period of time.

Instead there were no sneers and no people to look disgusted at him for what he had done. Only the ever-vigilant Heimdall stood nearby, guarding the end of the bridge. The man did not even glance in his direction.

He was transported quickly to the jails placed in the underbelly of his former home. And that is where he was now, still awaiting his trial, or rather, his death sentence. Under normal circumstances, Odin swiftly judged those of his people that had committed a crime. But then again, he really was not one of Odin's "people." The Allfather had lied all these centuries to his beloved citizens; he had lied, and they all believed him.

_He_ believed him.

But not anymore.

He'd spent all this time being called the younger brother, all this time being second and not being good enough to be deemed a "true warrior." During all of this time he was just being looked down upon by Odin, for being the kind of monster parents tell their children about before going to bed.

Anger flared up in his mind by these thoughts, and he willed his body to change. He had this experience before, the shackles he was bound with shielded his powerful magic. But he could still change his form into that of a frost giant. Yet he could not bear this sickening blue skin, to know this is what he always had been. A vile forstgiant like his real father Laufey. He laughed thinking about it, Laufey had forsaken him as a baby, and they deserved to die just like Odin and Thor de served to die now. He closed his eyes not wanting to see that ugly wretched shade of blue on his skin. And after a while his skin changed back to the colour of normal flesh, the deep dark blue lines tracing his body fading. His heart rate sped up for a moment, his brows frowning from concentration it took him to change. A drained feeling soon followed, and he felt himself slip away into unconsciousness.

He opened his eyes and groaned at the feeling like his head was being split in two. He looked around and saw soft rays of light coming from the barred windows and leaving a striped shadow on the ground. Sluggishly, he lifted himself from the floor and stood up, leaning against the wall. "Another day in boredom," he sighed, wondering if they were just going to leave him there to slowly waste away.

The cell itself was square and beige, one of the most uninteresting colours if you could even call it that. There were no comforts, only a tiny window and the floor to also function as a bed. So far he'd been brought water and gruel every couple days. His only comfort was that they'd left him in his normal attire instead of forcing him to change into prison garb. Perhaps it was a benefit of once being royalty.

How utterly humiliating to be left here when he was a god! To be left in this solemn place to rot!

He gritted his teeth. He would find a way out of here, no matter how long it took to escape this "shithole" as the ants tended to call these places. Perhaps he could play a sympathy card on one of the guards or on Thor if his "brother" ever came to check up on him. Thor always did have a weak spot for him that could be exploited. But no, Loki would refuse that, asking him even if it all was just a lie, a pretend game to get out. No pride would be lowered to that level. If he ever was to face Thor and Odin he would lift his head and look them in the eyes directly. He would make sure to not face away. Instead he would stare with intense burning hatred.

His green eyes shimmered at the thought. Oh, how they would be repulsed by it! Those Asgardians would hate him even more when he showed them no regret for his actions.

In the distance he heard footsteps. There were at least three people walking down the stairs and into the main corridor of the prison. He heard them mumble his name followed by the sound of a key turning in the rusty slot. Moments later, two figures entered his cell. The third guard closed the door behind them and locked it, barring him again from freedom. He smiled devilishly at the men.

"So the Allfather has granted me an audience? How kind of him," he spit the words out venomously. The guard with bulky shoulders grabbed the back of his neck and forced his head backwards. The other guard put a metal gag on his face and fastened it at the back.

He hated not being able to speak. He wanted to be ruthlessly defiant. He wanted all of Asgard to know that they had always been lied to. Breaking the trust people had in the Allfather would give him a wonderful feeling of accomplishment. Now that was also taken away, but they would not take away his dignity or pride.

The third guard opened the door again and he was shoved towards the exit. A long chain was clipped onto his shackles and they started dragging, pushing, and pulling him. Or at least that's what he figured they'd wanted. Instead he raised his gagged head and pulled the chains straight, causing the guard in front of him to stumble. As he made himself stand straight and tall, he snorted derisively at the guards. Strength and bulking muscles were something he might not have, but he was tall. Taller than most Asgardians.

"Small, weak, and puny for a Frost Giant" he heard a whispering voice say in his head.

He shook off the awful feeling it gave him as he walked up the stairs. Light illuminated the large doorway to the castle's entrance.

He stood before the grand door, the door to the throne room. Already he could hear faint whispering behind it and the rustling of clothes and armour. It seemed like the Allfather had gone all out for his trial. After all, it was his fate that was to be decided. He was not beloved nor would anyone grieve over him. But curious everyone must be for the outcome of his trial.

One of the guards gave a nod and the doors to the throne room opened. The light coming from the room glittered gold and made him blink his eyes. As they adjusted he could see the inside filled with people he'd know or seen around before – warriors, both male and female, clad in their best armour and some common folk important enough to be here. At the end sat the Allfather on his throne. His wife and Thor stood by his side.

"Come forward, Loki Odinson!" bellowed the loud voice of Odin. He glared at the Allfather. The guts that the god must have to call him Odinson! ODINSON! He hissed in anger at Odin and Thor. He would show them THEIR Odinson. Smirking evilly he concentrated and willed his form to change.

Walking forward, he felt his body change. His eye colour turned from its usual brilliant deep emerald into a dark bloody red. He felt deep blue lines shape and form on his face before moving downward over his entire body. No matter how disgusted he was by this loathsome form, he felt compelled to finally show everyone the truth. Swallowing the upcoming bile, he continued to break the Allfather's lie.

His skin was a deep blue colour now and he heard gasps of shock from the crowd. The guard in front of him turned around to see what was happening. He felt the chains slip out of the guard's hands but he kept walking forward, dragging the loosened chains behind him. Thor looked away. His must have broken his "brother's" thoughts about his redemption and the two reuniting to live happily-ever-after in Asgard.

It felt like the air around him grew colder and more menacing. He liked menacing. He arrived at the throne and stood on the first step, refusing to kneel before the Allfather. He threw Odin a look which clearly said, "I am not your son."

"I see that you are not willing to mend your wrong doings," Odin let out a deep sigh and looked at him with pity.

He wasn't prepared for that. He could deal with the whispering behind his back and the looks of utter disgust. But pity was something different, something he did not want to be given.

Loki's glare faltered as Odin rose from his throne and walked towards him. Odin began stripping him of his armour. "I still regard you as my son therefore you will not be executed on this day. Instead you will be stripped of your magic and immortality. From this day on, you will be banished from Asgard to live and die on Midgard."

Loki stood there powerless. He had prepared for punishment, for execution, or even being locked away for eternity. But not this. Being ridiculed and made into one of the lowly ants that could easily be crushed or stomped upon! To live and die like one of them! How humiliating.

He felt his body slip from reality. His eyes rolled into the back of his head and he felt himself being pushed away.

With a loud smack he fell to the ground. It was dark and grey outside in the city illuminated by artificial lights. He managed to sit up against a wall, holding his right shoulder where he'd landed on it. He felt a throbbing pain before his surroundings turned black and he fainted.


	2. Chapter 2

I don't own the rights to anything avengers or marvel related.

Just a few comic books.

Chapter Two

The sky was a pale shade of grey. No sun broke through to shine its warm rays of light on the city. It was early in the morning, that time of day that people complain about when accidently woken from a peaceful slumber. But the city never slept and there were people on the move at all hours. Cars, cabs, and the noises of public transportation could always be heard. Office lights shone in several of the glass and metal towers clustered in the city centre. No doubt people were working overtime, trying their hardest to fulfil their boss' desires.

The subway followed its laid out path, screeching whenever it turned. Bridges rumbled underneath the weight of a freight train.

This was ultimately the sounds that woke Loki from his pain-induced sleep.

He could still feel a warm, dull pain seeping from his left shoulder. His head throbbed in sync with the rhythm of a passing train. As it carried on its route the pain subsided, leaving a heavy feeling as he slowly rubbed his temples. He felt dizzy and blurred, unsure if the pains and sounds were real or just a livid imagination.

His clothing felt damp and clung to his body. Water soaked his boots, leaving his feet wet and cold. His long leather coat was slightly torn from landing and he could feel droplets of water falling from his hair and onto his back, leaving a wet trail down a relatively dry shirt.

Slowly he opened his tired, heavy, and dark-rimmed eyes. The events of the previous day came back and the realisation suddenly hit that he was no longer in his dull-coloured cell. No, he was in a place much worse. A place filled with lowly vermin crawling on its surface. Vermin that were always breeding and expanding, believing themselves to be worth more than the insects they truly are. To be as low as them – a powerless, weak creature – it sent chilling shivers down his spine. To be nothing more than a dead shell walking in a noisy, smelling city. The only reason for existence was to die and become food for the worms.

Loki took in his surroundings. Somehow he'd managed to drag himself to an area that was sheltered from the weather of the night. His feet were still lying in a puddle of dirty water which explained his now wet and dirt-encrusted boots. A foul-smelling air seemed to be spreading from a few nearby containers.

"What a filthy place I have arrived in," he mumbled to himself. Nobody was around to hear his thoughts.

He pulled his feet out of the shallow mud pool and used his good arm as support so he could stand up. His lean muscles ached from the strain he put on them. Loki had slept against a low concrete wall. A mark in bright full orange saying "_B.t. wolfs_" covered other faded-out signs. It was a form of human art he could see no merit in.

The area shook as a loud rumble was heard, signalling another passing train which shook the foundations. His head throbbed once more. The train seemed bent on depriving his brain from functioning.

Deciding it was time to take a look at his more discomforting injury, he removed his coat and tossed it uncaringly on the wall. Loki moved his arm, biting back a hiss at the uncomfortable feeling stinging his shoulder. Luckily his arm did not seem broken or even dislocated from impact, but it did feel badly bruised. The fibres of his shirt clung crusted to dried blood.

Gently he started tearing the fabric, ripping open the seam under his arm. He pulled the sleeve of his arm and tore it for further use as a bandage. As he tore off the fabric his wound re-opened, showing an angry red colour as blood slowly flowed out in small streams. The skin around it was a deep purple colour with smaller red specks indicating some slight damage to the blood vessels. After binding the wound, he grabbed his coat from where it hung nonchalantly over the wall and redressed himself.

He ran his hands through his hair and sighed deeply. The license plate of a nearby parked car gave him his only knowledge of his current whereabouts. He was somewhere in the United States.

"Time to find out where I am on this wretched planet."

The small stones and rocks on the dirty ground rolled and crackled beneath his feet. He moved to the edge of his cement and steel shelter. A car passed by on a one-way street, its driver giving him a fast glance before going back to the road ahead.

Further up there was a large intersection where the one-way street hit a larger four-row street. He could see the light turn red as the car that had just passed him slowed down. Across the street stood a cluster of apartment buildings, big square blocks of red brick and windows. The narrow, one-way street had stairways running along the side to provide a fast escape for the street's inhabitants should an emergency arise.

The lights finally turned green and the car sped up as it went around the corner. Loki checked the street and no cars seemed to be speeding his way so he crossed over. Dimmed lights could be seen in one of the apartments and soft giggles and laughter could be heard from within. Its inhabitants were no doubt frolicking around in the early hours.

At the stairs he could see cigarette buds in the corner as he passed. Currently there did not seem to be a soul around and the door of the apartment building creaked as it opened and he entered the main hall. The right side was covered with letterboxes, numbers, and names on the corresponding doorbells. Most of the mailboxes were empty but letters hung out of a few of them. Their owners were probably too lazy to care for correspondence, resulting in an overstuffed mailbox. He grabbed a stack and shuffled through it. It was mostly pamphlets and commercials for nearby stores. Then he pulled out a pristine white envelope and looked at the address.

"New York."

Of all the places he could be dumped, Odin decided to drop him here? The place where he was once so close to victory yet so far from realising his downfall?

S.H.I.E.L.D. was probably still in close proximity, vigilant as ever and keeping a keen eye on any strange phenomenon happening, like the fluctuation that was made when he fell. He'd landed in the devil's nest and could practically feel them breathing down his neck. He had to get away from this area before he was seen or recognised. There was a good chance that Fury and the Avengers would deem Odin's punishment too light, and he had no desire to be locked away in Fury's air fortress. Unlike before, his human form would give him no option for escape.

He walked out of the apartment block with haste and didn't even notice he was still holding the letter clenched in his white knuckles. The streets seemed busier than before and filled with the noises of cars and people. As morning came for those who worked, people woke up at an almost alarming pace.

He turned right and walked quickly down the street, heading for the intersection. He saw the lights turn from green to yellow and heard a vehicle coming up from behind him at a slow speed. Loki glanced over his shoulder to see a small red car. Nothing special. The driver was an elderly woman with thick glasses that hid her eyes, but he was sure she was watching him.

She sped up and the window of the passenger's seat went down. Now that she was stopped at the red light she looked back at him and said, "Are you alright?"

He stopped dead in his tracks and stared at her. _That stupid cow, do I look alright? Of course not! I'm a powerless god on the run!_ He felt annoyed by the question since he was obviously not alright. Yet somehow he managed to put a friendly smile on his face.

"I've had a rough night and, to be honest, I'm late for work."

She looked at him and nodded understandingly. "It's a bad neighbourhood here and has gotten worse as of late. Where are you headed?"

He thought about it for a second, but the answer was simple and obvious.

"Downtown."

"Well hop in then. I can't take you to the city centre but I'll drop you off at the next subway station."

Loki got in the car before the light hit green. He glanced into the rear view mirror, not even noticing his own face, because what grabbed his attention was the image of a black car parking under the bridge he had just vacated. The car was clean and clearly of a higher cost than most people living in the neighbourhood could afford. He felt a pang of panic that faded into relief as the woman started driving, disappearing into the steady flow of traffic.

Her car smelt oddly of chemicals, which disturbed his sense of smell and made his nose sting. Too much perfume masked the woman's normal scent and a quick look around the car revealed its source. Two different air fresheners hung on her mirror, one pinewood and the other lavender. Both smelled horrendously chemical. He guessed the woman was around age sixty since wrinkles covered both her hands and face. She used too much make-up in an attempt to look younger. Instead she got the opposite effect, her light foundation making her wrinkles cast deeper shadows on her face.

This was his fate now. He would grow old in just a few short breaths. That is, if he did not die sooner. He never understood how humans could get joy out of such a short life and living without meaning or purpose. They were like cattle mindlessly wandering in ignorant bliss of their end being only a footstep away.

"Care to tell me what happened? You look awfully roughed up. Are you sure you don't want to go to the hospital?"

She was chatty and had an annoyingly high pitched voice. _And_ she was nosy. He hated nosy people.

"No."

"Are you sure? I know you said you want to go to work, but it's ridiculous looking the way you do."

"I said NO!"

He did not bother appearing friendly anymore. He felt much too uncomfortable for that. God, her voice sounded like the cackling of a chicken.

"You should refrain from asking questions for the remaining time," Loki said with a stern voice, glaring at the clearly frightened women. She flinched away from him and turned her head, her body language more demure now.

_God, women are chatty blabbermouths anywhere_. He could not take this humiliation anymore based on his interactions already with this human.

The apartments grew higher and office buildings came into sight. People carrying suitcases filled with papers walked in haste. The woman stopped the car near a bus stop and pointed towards it.

"There's a station just behind it, sir."

Sir? Glad to know he still had some form of authority even if it was just from a spooked human. He should be spoken to with respect even if it was out of fear. No, _especially_ if the voice held fear. This only added power to his statement that humans were meant to be ruled.

Loki opened the car door and turned around to face the woman. His coat billowed up at the movement.

"Know that it was an honour for you to drive one such as me."

He grinned at the lady. He might have lost his powers but that did not mean he couldn't hold a certain degree of authority over others. He slammed the door and made his way to the subway station, disappearing between the humans moving about the entrance.

Perhaps he could make do on this planet. There were some fraction of people who had power. He could find one and use that person to his own advantage. There should be ways of gaining more knowledge and power in this world. There could even be ways to regain portions of his strength.

He followed the stream of people descending the stairs that lead underneath New York City. The flow of people suddenly stopped and he felt jammed within the narrow confines of the tunnel. A person shoved him in the ribs which caused a sting of pain to ripple throughout his body. He wanted to lash out but as he turned around, he saw several men and a woman at the ticket gates looking with purpose into the crowd and searching the faces of those wanting to board the subway. Every now and then they checked a person's papers to keep up the pretence of having a normal search. There was no way of escaping the stream of people he was stuck in now. Turning back would be noticed, and he felt no joy in knowing there would be other guards upstairs as well.

There did seem to be one defect in their checkpoint, the far left side where people still walked freely past the ticket booth. He made his way, letting long tendrils of black hair fall over his face, looking down at the ground and trying to not be noticed.

He passed the ticket booth.

_Too_ _easy_, crossed his mind before a hand was pressed to his chest restricting his advance.

"Your identification, please."

The black suited man looked at him intently and withdrew his hand from Loki's chest.

"I left it at home," Loki let out a sigh. "Look, I am certain you can see I had a rather difficult night. But I need to get to work. I no longer have my identification."

His tethered up coat and bruised arm would only make his lie more believable. The man seemed to ponder a moment, his eyes holding the tension of thinking.

"What is your name, sir?"

Loki smiled his fake alluring smile.

"Locke Ladislav, look I really need to—"

He was cut off by the man making a sympathetic waving gesture with his hand.

"Be off and get to work, and make sure that you have your identification next time, Locke."

Loki felt relieved and walked down the escalator to the subway. One was just arriving. People stood behind the line, waiting like this was an everyday normality. Could humans really be deceived so easily? It didn't matter now that he was safe.

He entered the transport vehicle, the doors closing behind him with a swish. Before the subway started driving, he looked in horror at his reflection in the glass door.

* * *

*o.o*

Thank you guys for reading and/or following.

And of course a big thank you for sinister banana for beta reading.


	3. Chapter 3

Default summary: I do not own anything marvel related.

But I did buy another comic book :p

* * *

**Chapter 3**

Loki stood there staring at his reflection as the subway took off and began making its way to the next station. His hand clutched the metal bars of the car's railing to keep himself calm and steady. If he had the strength he would have broken the metal poles or screamed out his anger loud and high enough to break all glass in the vicinity. But being human made him unable to do so, much to his current discontent.

Odin had taken much more from him than he'd originally thought. Certainly more than just his magic.

"_My face._"

He stared back at a face that was not his own. What a cruel twist of fate, another punishment to be endured.

His once pure and emerald orbs were now replaced by stormy blue ones that had grey specks at the edges. Those eyes stared back at him, wide open in disbelief and horror.

And his _hair_.

"Oh, by the NINE!" What he'd thought was black when a lock had hung in front of his face was actually dirty blond and covered with dark mud, making parts of it cling together. He still had his own strong, prominent nose but his jaw line was now softened and less pointed. Much to his own dismay, he also showed signs of a growing beard.

Slowly he brought his hand up, hoping that it would be some sort of distorted image or perhaps a stranger standing behind him. He traced the outline of his ear with his index finger before softly cupping his cheek. Unfortunately this was not a twisted illusion. His cheeks felt fuller.

He rubbed his jaw, feeling the small stubs of hair prickling the palm of his hand.

The Allfather was a cruel man indeed.

As a human man, he looked more Aesir than he ever had before.

As a human man, he looked more like the other members of his "family."

He looked to his reflection again and saw despair in his eyes. It reminded him of the look Thor had given him before letting himself slip at the bifrost. He could practically hear the sound of Thor screaming as his "brother" fell to the stars.

Loki's new appearance had to be Odin's doing. A more personal touch for a score the Allfather wanted settled. A constant reminder of his failure to be accepted as a rightful ruler.

In his anger, Loki clenched his fist and punched the window. But the glass didn't shatter and his reflection did not vanish, though the pain in his hand was obvious. His heart raced in his ribcage like a panicking animal. He wanted to lash out at the nearest thing, but his sense of self gave him some control.

"By the nine, how can you people live like this?"

Were human feelings always like this? It would surely explain their appetite for self-destruction.

People stared at him, though a handful didn't even bother to bat an eyelash at his sudden outburst. To them he must have seemed like a drunken fool, a man not even worthy enough to be noticed.

It was cruel how some things never changed.

As the subway made its first stop, people streamed out and in. A woman passing by gave him a haughty look before stepping off with an arrogant elegance. He knew from that look that she felt herself to be above him.

Loki made his way to an empty seat and sat down to rest his weary limbs. He took his injured hand in his other and began rubbing it while shooting a sinister glare at the bulky man who wanted to take the seat next to him. Volstagg would've looked like a light-limbed dancer compared to this example of humanity. And to make it worse he smelled like a mixture of grease and old sweat. After receiving Loki's withering glare, the man did not dare to take the seat beside him and instead moved along to the back of the car.

Loki tried to smooth out his hair with his hands, but the unruly muddy lock was intent on defying him and continued hanging in front of his face, brushing his cheek and taunting him with that dirty-blonde colour.

He tried to put his priorities in order but found that he was having a hard time concentrating. He would need suitable garments, that was certain. His current broken gear would not suit him in Midgard. Preferably he could get something dark and with a clean cut to it. He was rather fond of the style suit he'd worn before when last on this planet. The scarf he'd conjured then had also gone extremely well with it. Perhaps some humans with enough skill might be able to fabricate something similar to it. Not that it could ever be considered the same quality.

Onto other matters, these people were foolish and could probably be easily persuaded to give him lodging too. With those two essentials, he could perhaps make his short stay here endurable. He _would_ get back to Asgard. The humans had a saying about that, did they not?

"_Where there's a will, there's a way._"

Lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice the time slowly passing by. The people boarding the subway changed. Now it consisted mostly of students skipping school, casual shoppers, and people with too much free time on their hands.

The subway came out of a tunnel and slowed down, coming to stop at a grey-tilled platform. Loki made his way out and looked for the exit. There was an escalator—a typical human invention, lazy and unpractical in his opinion. He might not have the muscled physique of others on Asgard, but he had lean sleek muscles with almost perfect reflexes. Earthlings with their lazy attitude towards their health could never match up to him. No wonder they were so soft and weak. They would find excuses to avoid anything physical. He took the normal stairs. Having a human body did not mean he had to act like them.

Once outside he could see a city fully awakened. Traffic seemed to be jammed, and an angry passenger in a cab got out while flipping the driver off. Stores were open and people walked around carrying bags and packages. The traffic lights hit green again and a stream of cars, cabs, and a truck that left behind a dirty puff of smoke drove by.

Loki had trouble orientating himself and looked around for a familiar point. The tall metal and glass buildings still held damage from his last visit to Earth. Everywhere people were working on repairs. Men valiantly replaced windows at dizzying heights and work was being done to some of the base structures. All the rubble in the streets was cleared and, to make it worse, he saw people smiling and laughing.

It was like he had never been there laying waste to the city. How could the Midgardians have adjusted and adapted so quickly? He missed the looks of fear they'd given him before. Their now friendly smiles held no merit for Loki. Like ants, they worked hard and fast to return their home to its original state.

Only one building stood out as not having any damage. The sun hit its glass windows, making it shimmer like a beacon of hope.

_Stark Tower._

Loki turned around and walked in the opposite direction with the fast pace of a man severely pissed off.

The streets became calmer as he walked on, and Loki considered changing his priorities after his stomach made an embarrassingly loud growl. Gods could go without food for a certain length of time, but this human body demanded sustenance in a most annoying way.

A little further down the street he located a store selling sweet snacks and drinks to humans. Although these things would not have the essential nutrients he would've liked, going without anything would only lead his body to making more of those awful sounds. As he came closer he saw a beggar sitting just outside the store, a passing woman ignoring his plea for a dollar.

The sign of the store read '_Dirk's Doughnuts_.' He ignored the beggar and stepped inside with an air of certainty surrounding him.

Loki made his way to the counter. The young woman working behind it had a name tag which read '_Vicky_.' She was filling pink boxes trimmed with gold and putting doughnuts and other sweets inside them.

She gave him a bored look and said in polite but monotone way, "Can I help you, sir?"

He gave her a charming smile.

"I believe you can, Miss. As you see, I am in a rather dishevelled state." He let out a sigh and looked deep into her eyes, running a hand through his hair. "It would greatly be appreciated if you could offer me some food."

She seemed to melt under his gaze as he said the magic words.

"Please, Vicky."

Vicky blushed like a young school girl. Apparently he seemed to be the only one here who didn't like his face. Women still reacted the same way. She took a small package from the display at the counter and was about to give it to him, but then all hell broke loose from the back of the store.

A tall man came out from the back wearing an overused apron. This man was likely Dirk, the store's owner. He walked in Loki's direction, angrily raising his fist and shaking it in front of Loki's face, signalling he meant to do harm.

"VICKY, you stupid twat! Stop feeding the beggars! How many times do I need to tell you? And you get out now, you piece of trash."

Did this man just call him _trash_? How dare he!

Loki's endearing smiled faded. "How dare you call me filth, you measly little worm. I should crush you like you deserve. I have only asked for an offering of food."

Dirk did not listen. His face just reddened like a tomato ready to burst. He came out from behind the counter, carrying a dough roller.

Loki ran through his options. He could try and talk his way out, but no doubt this caveman wouldn't listen to his words. He could try to fend the man off, but Loki himself was still wounded. As a last option he could make himself scarce and run off, but by the nine he was pissed!

Dirk made the decision for him when the dough roller was thrown at his head.

Loki ducked and narrowly avoided being hit in the face. Dirk was already a step ahead and shoved his injured shoulder. Loki hissed at the pain. The man must have noticed his injury and taken advantage of it.

Loki stumbled backwards toward the open door. There was no avoiding what came next. His body was too tired, weak, and hungry to react.

Loki was literally kicked out of the store and the door slammed shut right behind him. He clutched his shoulder and felt the wet stickiness of blood. The wound had re-opened. Slowly, he tried to get up and felt an unexpected hand.

"Dirk's a total ass and he had no right to be this mad at you. But he is tense when it comes to his daughter. Or people like us."

The beggar he saw before helped him up.

"If you're really that hungry I can take you to a place nearby where you can get some food. Can't do nothing about your wounds though." The beggar spat on the ground. "You can rest there for a while until you can get your ass to a hospital."

The man saw in Loki what Loki saw in the beggar, a helpless individual. He nodded to the man and answered with a raspy voice.

"I accept your offer."

"Alright, let's get on the road. You can call me Bob by the way, your Highness."

Bob supported him while they walked off. Loki felt no need to question the reason why he was called 'Highness.' He felt like he was barely able to think straight. Although he did his best to concentrate, he could not pay attention to his environment.

After a while they stopped and he noticed a small fire. Three more men were standing around it drinking something from a cup.

"Guys, we have a newcomer. Your Highness, I'd like to introduce you to Mike, Samuel, and Jack Daniels. Guys, this is 'Your Highness.' He acts like a prince and he tried to defy Dirk. So now we'll give him a bowl of soup."

The man called Mike nodded, grabbed a brown mug, and poured in some soup, or at least something that looked like it. Loki took it and before he knew it his mug was empty.

Bob pointed to a large cardboard box in the distance. "That one's mine but there is another one just behind it. Used to be Tyson's but he left. You can rest there for now. Just don't die tonight, okay. I'd hate to explain a corpse to the cops."

Loki dragged his body to said box. It was large enough to curl up inside. A few other pieces of paper provided slight comfort against the cold ground. He felt the heavy draining feeling of sleep come over him, and his head hurt again.

He was cast out and stripped of his magic by Odin.

His face was taken away, what had been left behind a constant and painful reminder of his old life.

The last thing to go was his dignity.

He was a monster, a weakling, and now the lowest kind of human.

* * *

I want to thank everyone who is following my work or favourite it.

Big hugs for all people that left a review. You guys all make my day^^

And last but not least a big applause for my patient beta reader Sinister Banana.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I still don't own Marvel.

But Bob is all mine!

And a good friend of mine gave me a ,Loki necklace. If you read this thank you!

Chapter Four

Loki's sleep was a deep one, caused by the pure exhaustion of his body and the emotional strain of the day. His body shivered and he shook during a dreamless slumber. A small layer of cardboard was the only thing separating him from the soft earth beneath him. Darkness fell outside and the midnight hour passed without him even being aware of it.

Other drifters that resided in the area went to their respective "homes"—shacks made from leftover cardboard, plastic, and sometimes plywood. Constructions held by rope or the sheer willpower of their owners. The lucky ones had a tent or a sleeping bag, but most made due with whatever they could find.

This world is a cruel one for those that have nothing left.

The night was dry and the dark sky was clear of clouds. It would have been a beautiful vision, filled with a bright glowing moon to illuminate the sky, had the city lights not blinded people from its natural radiance. City dwellers rarely had the occasions or pleasure of seeing such rare sights.

The beggar called Bob was still awake the early morning hours. He was a short and stout man. Age and experience took the hairs from his head, but he still had a thick, black moustache growing under his round nose. He was one of the eldest drifters that stayed in this area.

Once he had a family.

A home to go back to with eagerly awaiting loved ones. A fireplace to warm his hands during the winter and a large green garden filled with neighbours during the summer. Kids from the neighbourhood played on swings with his son, happy and smiling.

Bob used to be content. He was a blissfully happy man, but terribly naïve.

His wife, a woman named Lauren, was his high school sweetheart. They married early during college. After that, Bob got a decent paying job, slowly working his way up the company ladder. Eventually he became assistant manager and bought a good home for his family.

When Lauren told him she was pregnant, he was ecstatic. A young boy was born with fair-hair and soft, light eyes. Blinded by his love, Bob never saw what everyone else had over these years. The boy did not look like him at all.

Fate stabbed him in the back with a bunch of rusty old knives, the kind that psychotic killers use in horror films. The company went bankrupt, followed by a foreclosure on his home. His wife divorced him and she and his son went to live with the birth father.

Betrayal was a frightful thing, but nothing could stop him from seeing the young boy. That is, until Lauren got a restraining order. Finally, the last thing he could cling onto—his fatherly love for a young boy named Steven—was lost.

Feelings of shame and regret ate at his core. Angry at the world, he shouted drunken obscenities for days.

He recognised some of those feeling in the foreign man he'd met earlier today. A man seemingly consumed with confusion and madness. He had seen him act like a perfect, smiling gentleman. One that would turn grown women into fawning teenagers.

An arrogant air surrounded the man and he acted like a spoiled child when something did not go his way. So he'd given the nameless man a nickname. They all had one down here.

"Your Highness."

Too bad for his "Highness," the owner of the doughnut shop was an overprotective and greedy father that both hated men that went after his daughter _and_ bums, beggars, and other likewise scum.

Bob hoped that with some food in the "Highness'" stomach and a decent night's rest that the man would recover from the previous day. His injuries seemed superficial, but Bob had learned over the years that some things are much deeper than the eye can see.

Loki twisted in his sleep, unaware that outside a person worried for him. Sweat rolled down his cheek and he sank into a fever-induced dream, a nightmare.

One of the many benefits of being a god was an incredibly fast healing time. Humans on the other hand were slow to heal, and Loki was about to find this out the hard way. His head felt like Mjolnir had been banging on it the entire night. Heat radiated from the skin surrounding his shoulder wound.

On top of everything, he was sleeping in a box!

He knew that a person gave him some sort of sustenance the other day, but he could not recall any events after that. Perhaps it was wise to pay this person a visit. Loki seemed to require further "sustenance" for his body. He recalled the man's name—"Bob." It sounded like a name humans would give a pet. But Loki could use a worthy servant.

Gods, crawling out of a box was humiliating!

Loki stood up, still trying to have some air of dignity. He made a poor attempt to get the dirt out his hair.

"Where is the one called Bob?"

A short man looked his way. The man's face was dominated by a big, black moustache and a bright smile.

"Glad to see you're awake, Your Highness. How's your head?"

Loki realised that lying would do him no good since he didn't have the slightest clue as to how humans cured minor wounds and illnesses. "It feels like a battle axe cleaved my skull in two."

Bob let out a loud laugh at this and a man he did not notice earlier was also grinning widely. "Oh well, you're awake and that's what counts. It would've been a bigger problem if ya stayed asleep."

"Your Highness, this man here is Hank Thompson, but we all call him Jack Daniels for obvious reasons."

Jack Daniels made a salute while holding up a bottle with warm, yellow-looking fluid inside. The man took a large sip and—

"_BUUUURP_! Yeah, pleased to meet you, Highness. I'd spare you a sip but this small thing here has to last the whole day."

Loki could smell the reek of the man's alcohol-stained clothes from afar.

"Ah boy, don't mind good old Jack here." He sipped his drink again. "This is me drowning my sadness with something I love. And that's all there is to it."

How pathetic. Be it Asgard or Midgard, alcohol always flowed freely for those with no self-control. Loki remembered the many feasts held in the royal palace and how everyone partook generously of the drink. He never held any joy for such things or the actions that resulted because of it.

The warm rays of the sun hit his body and he became aware of sweat trailing down his back. The clothing he wore felt dirty and wet. A growing need to change into something clean arose.

"I am in urgent need of a bath and change. Tell me where such things can be acquired."

Bob glanced at Jack Daniels with surprised look his face. Then they both started snickering, which quickly turned into loud laughter.

Loki narrowed his eyes.

"How dare you laugh at my need!"

Bob wiped away a tear as he moved to pat Loki's good shoulder. Loki reacted quickly and took a step backward, avoiding the touch. "Oh, Your Highness. We are all in need of a bath and some clean clothes. We would also prefer to have jobs and housing."

Jack Daniels looked down sadly at his empty bottle as Bob spoke.

"But I fear the only things we have are a few run-down shacks and boxes to call home. Sure, a few of us got jobs after the rampage in the city. They needed cleaners and builders, but most of us are too far gone to be accepted back into society."

Loki saw the man look at his wound.

"I fear we can't help you with your headache. How's the arm, lad?"

Loki could not decipher the man's goal. He had nothing to give, so Bob could not obtain anything from him. Neither did these people have anything to provide except for a box and some soup. The bright sunlight shone in Loki's eyes and he felt dizzy. His head thumped loudly to the beat of his own heart. If the humans here could not help him then he had to move on. These people were the lowest, and he was certain he could do better.

"All I require is some food. After that I will find m—"

The thumping feeling in his head increased. He blinked rapidly in the heavy sunlight. He felt hot, tired, and thirsty as hell. A faint feeling crept over him, and he wobbled unsteadily on his feet. Suddenly Loki sank to the ground and ended up on his knees.

"Apparently I'm not as well as I thought."

Loki saw panic spread across their faces, but it was not caused by fear _of_ him.

It was fear _for_ him.

"Don't overwork yourself, sonny. Jack, go get a wet towel and see if someone has a spare shirt."

Bob gave Loki a metal cup filled with cold water. Loki drank it quickly and more greedily than he'd ever want to admit.

Once emptied, all Loki could say was, "More, now…" He breathed heavily. Perhaps some kindness would be in order. "If you would, please?"

A refilled cup was given to him.

"Don't fret, Your Highness. Water is on the house."

The reference was not understood, but Loki figured he would not waste his breath asking. Mortals and most of their quotes were lost on him. For a brief moment he was so caught up in his thoughts that he did not notice Bob's hand until it was too late. The beggar laid a hand on his forehead and in that instant Loki snapped.

"Do not dare touch me, you insect!" Loki slapped the hand away and tried getting up, but it was no use. Bob held him in place.

"Stop moving, Your Highness. You are burning up with fever. Say Jack, are you done yet?"

It dawned on him these humans were actually trying to help him. He was too weak to fight them or refuse the help. All he could do was sit there and take what they had to give, whether it was unwanted or not.

Jack Daniels came back carrying a piece of cloth and a dark blue shirt with a grey logo printed on the back.

"I'm here, Bob. I hear ya. Took me awhile to convince Mike to let go of one of his shirts."

"Ok, sonny. You'll have to get rid of those dirty things. Seems like your wound has been infected. It needs to be cleansed and you need a clean shirt."

Hesitantly, Loki removed his leather coat. These men were not healers but he knew he needed something clean. The words Bob spoke rang true in his head. His wound needed more attention than it was currently given. After removing the coat, he could see that the purple bruising had spread. The edges of the wound were an angry red and the dry crust had opened in several places.

The cool air licked his wound. He undid his shirt and Bob made a gesture to the other man. "Come on, I know you still have a small spare. We need it for disinfection."

Jack looked sullen and reached into his coat. He removed a small metal bottle from an inner pocket and unscrewed the lid.

"At least it will go to good use."

He handed it over to Bob who was not smiling anymore. The man had a stern look of concentration on his face.

"It's going to sting but it needs to be done, Your Highness."

Loki bit on his teeth, swallowing a hiss as the wound was disinfected with Jack's alcohol. It hurt like hell with the pressure also being placed on it.

"This will have to do for now. Put on your new shirt, Highness."

Loki took the shirt, decidedly not complaining about its hideous blue colour, and proceeded to pull it over his head. Sometimes need was more important than pride.

Loki did not say any words of gratitude. He just mustered up his remaining strength and took his coat. "I will rest," was all he said before he took off with slow, steady steps to 'his' box.

_Great, I'm already referring to it as my box. What a pathetic excuse for housing._

The men did not follow him. Perhaps they noticed the change in his demeanour and decided it was best to leave him alone. He did not care. The one named Bob was tearing a few pieces from his old black shirt while trying to explain something to the drunk one, Jack. Loki figured could try and salvage his coat. It was in poor condition, but he doubted he would complain about it come nightfall.

He no longer felt anger. Perhaps he was too tired or hurt. Instead he felt a sadness hidden deep inside. He loathed himself for feeling like this. Only weak-hearted people mustered up emotions like that.

He sat down in his makeshift shelter. The sun dimmed and the air became cooler. The shade the box provided from the sun made his head feel slightly dull. The throbbing numbed to a small, lingering presence.

He sat there for a while, seemingly incapable of any coherent and clear thoughts. After some time had passed, there was a soft tap against the cardboard.

"I would knock, Your Highness, but these things don't have doors."

Loki glared at the entrance. "Leave me be."

"No can do. We boiled the strips we tore off your shirt earlier. They're clean now and your wound needs further attention. If it gets dirty again, your predicament will only worsen."

Loki hated others for being right.

"Hand them to me. I can take care of it myself."

He was handed the bandages. The fabric still felt a bit wet, but it was warm and clean. A mug of soup was also handed over.

"You can keep the mug, but that is the only bit of soup we can spare, Your Highness," Bob sighed. He knew that this man was in some state of denial. God only knew what this guy had been through.

"It's Locke. Locke Ladislav."

Bob raised an eyebrow. He had not expected the young man to tell him his name. "Thank you for telling me your name, Locke." Bob gave the box a pat. "Now rest well and sweat out your fever."

The broth Bob handed him was watery and had some pieces of onions and carrots. Nonetheless it warmed up his body and filled his empty stomach. Before he knew it, he was sound asleep.

The next two days went roughly the same. Loki slept most of the time, his body needing the state of relaxation to heal. He was given soup, a piece of stale bread if there were any leftovers, and a bottle of water that when empty could be refilled at the nearby gas station. On the third day he felt alert enough to get out and go see his surroundings. The makeshift shelters were built between two walls under a large bridge. There was a waterway close by but nobody used it for bathing or drinking. The water was an unnatural dark brown colour and it smelled even worse than the man nicknamed Jack Daniels.

On the fourth day, Bob invited him over to the fire. The sun was down and everybody shared a plate. Somebody had managed to get some meat for the soup. For them, this was a feast. Loki learned the names of the other drifters that took residence in this area aside from Bob and Jack Daniels.

He did not feel like socialising with them. As soon as he was back in shape he would leave. He would go and…

Go where actually?

Loki could have given himself an inner face palm. Who was he kidding? Nobody would help him. He was a John Doe with no identification to prove he was anything else. He didn't even have his own name anymore. He'd become Locke Ladislav, though his current "companions" still preferred to call him by his nickname.

"Your Highness."

They came so close to the truth.

It hurt being here, but there was nowhere else to go. At least no place that would welcome him with open arms. He didn't speak much, and the people here left him alone mostly. Bob talked to him quite frequently, unknowingly giving Loki vast amounts of information concerning the inner workings of the city. The man did not seem to mind the tone of authority Loki had in his voice when he spoke. Or maybe the man just ignored it.

"So, do you still want that bath?"

Loki looked up in surprise.

"By the nine, I desire it. But…just having a desire doesn't make it happen."

Of course he wanted to be clean, but he did not dare to touch any of the surrounding water. The only clean water here was reserved for drinking or to be used in food.

"There is a nearby shelter for the homeless. They have this system with a list. Every now and then we get the chance to have a decent warm meal and hot cup of coffee. But most of all, we get to take a real shower and a night's rest on a mattress." Bob stood up and cracked his neck. "I took the liberty of putting my name and yours on the list last week and, if you are up for it, you get to have that bath you so much desire. Well, not a bath, really, but at least you will end up clean."

The man's moustache moved as he gave Loki a bright smile.

"I will accept this offer."

"Ha! Thought you would, Your Highness. Now come on. Let's be off!"

On their way to the shelter, Loki caught himself with a slight smile on his face. Not a fake smile but an actual _real_ smile. For reasons unknown, this man had helped him unselfishly, not asking or demanding anything in return. He had given him what little food and shelter there was available. His wound was cleaned and now healing. Most of the bruising had faded. Even now, without a doubt, the man had put down "Locke's" name so that he could have a moment of tranquillity and decent sustenance.

Loki felt grateful. He wanted to express his thanks to the man for what he had done over the last few days.

Bob crossed the street and was talking to a young woman at the door to a building. Loki assumed they had arrived at the shelter and started to cross the street after Bob. He would express his feelings of gratitude. Not many earned a 'thank you' from his mouth, especially humans. This one would be a rare exception.

"Bob?"

The other man turned around to face Loki, his smile slowly fading off his face.

A car screeched loudly. The last thing Loki saw was a speeding automobile swinging uncontrollably in his direction.

* * *

A/N: The name Loki took on as a human is Locke Ladislav. Locke refers to being locked. And Ladislav means "glorious rule" or "rules with glory." You guys get the whole point.

Thank you for the kind reviews. You guys give me soul food and the courage to go on. Don't forget to leave one.

Chapter 5 is on its way. And six is being written right now!

And of course a big thank you for my beta, sinister banana.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel, but I did buy nail polish in Loki colours.

**Chapter 5**

"Fuck!"

Tony ran a hand through his hair in frustration. Work did not go as planned and, by god, it was boring. With a simple gesture he readjusted the blue screens in mid-air around him, trying to see if there was something his eyes had missed.

For several days now S.H.I.E.L.D. had him investigating the pattern of a small impact in the city. Whatever had caused it came from Asgard, that much was clear. It even showed some similarities to the pattern Thor gave off when descending to earth. Except this time there were no thunderstorms or lightning flashes in the sky. Instead it had rained that day, the only rainy day in an otherwise sunny week. Clouds had darkened the skies and water came pouring down. The air felt colder too, like Old Man Winter had decided to take a day trip to New York.

_Something came down alright_, Tony thought to himself as he sneezed loudly.

"And gave me this fucking cold."

Tony wiped his nose and tossed the tissue in the general direction of the garbage bin. It ended up missing the bin and rolled into a small pile where several other balled-up tissues lay.

"Dummy! I need you to clean up this mess."

One of the robots in the lab reacted, making a soft whirring noise of protest.

"No bitching."

Dummy huffed and let his head sink in defeat. The robot started wiping the floor and sorting out the trash.

Tony noted the irony in his situation. Iron Man could survive nearly anything—killer machines, psychopathic Russians with a hoard of robot soldiers, throwing a nuke into outer space, and of course godly super villains with massive alien armies. Ah, those were fun times.

But "Mother Nature" in all her screwed up glory decided to give him a freaking cold. He couldn't even wear his Ironman suit in his current state. One stupid sneeze and a building might get blown into tiny bits of rubble.

"Jarvis?" Tony pinched his nose, holding back another sneeze.

"Yes, sir?"

"Is Pepper back yet? I need some pills. Or some other glorious medication to fight off this damn cold. God knows I have better things to do than being sick, like dating sexy blond twins."

"Miss Potts is in the elevator, sir. She will soon reach this floor."

Tony minimalized all the screens with a flick of his index finger.

"I'm calling it a day, Jarvis. Close down the lab behind me. There's no point chasing after air."

Tony walked out and the lights went down one by one. Only a few green and red flickers indicated that the devices were merely asleep.

Tony Stark went straight to his bar, feeling the need for a good strong drink.

"Sir, Miss Potts has arrived."

"Thank you, Jarvis."

Tony could hear footsteps coming down the hallway. Those footsteps were always a familiar and secure sound, something that probably would never chance. He cared deeply for that woman, more than he did for most people. They had even tried to be together for a moment and make it work. But Tony just could not see her like he saw other women. Sure, the sex was great, but afterwards there was always an awkward atmosphere.

While he was with her, he gave monogamy a small try. It lasted for about two weeks until he had an interview with a petite, slender, and very attractive brunette. And…well…she was hot, and he wanted his mouth to do more than just talk. When Pepper walked in on them, she didn't even look angry. Just disappointed. She told him to, "_Be ready in ten minutes_."

Tony took a good bottle of Glenfiddich whiskey from under the counter and a glass from the cabinet. He put both down on the bar's counter. The footsteps halted and he turned around, opening the bottle.

"Pepper, please tell me you have the pills."

The bottle made a gulping noise as he filled the bottom of the glass with the honey-coloured liquid.

Pepper sighed, "Yes, Tony. I have them. And please do not tell me you intend to take them with whiskey?"

"Aaaah, come on, Pep! You know me better than that."

She handed him the bottle and he immediately took three pills out. Disregarding the instructions, he threw them into his mouth and swallowed them down with a decent gulp of whiskey.

"Of course I'm taking them with whiskey." He rolled his eyes and downed the rest of his drink.

"Sometimes I think you have a death wish, Tony. You really should take better care of yourself."

"Maybe, Pep, but death has no wish for me. He's had plenty of chances for that already," Tony quipped back as he started to refill his glass.

"Sir, Director Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D. is calling," announced the bodiless voice of Jarvis.

"Tell him I'm out. Important business or something like that." Tony sipped his whiskey, enjoying the taste as it lingered on his lips.

"Sir, he is demanding your attention now."

Pepper looked over at him like she wanted to say something.

"End the call, Jarvis."

"Yes, sir."

After a moment of silence Pepper's phone rang. She reached into her purse, taking it out. Tony shook his head in a huge _NO_, but Pepper answered the call anyway.

"Yes?"

Meanwhile Tony face palmed and made an 'I-am-definitely-not-here' gesture.

"Yes, he is here, Director. Hold on. I'll put you on speaker phone. Jarvis, if you would, please?"

"Certainly, Miss Potts."

Tony mouthed the word '_Traitor'_ towards her. Pepper gave him the 'you-better-do-this' look.

"Stark, you'd better have an explanation ready!"

Tony mouthed '_Why?_' towards Pepper dramatically before answering Fury.

"Bruce and I have done what you wanted. Whatever it is, it came from Thor's home"I know that, Stark, but what and more importantly _WHERE_ is it!"

Tony shrugged his shoulders. "We have no idea. It's probably just a puff of smoke. Now if you will excuse me, I have something to attend to. Right, Pepper?"

Pepper nodded to him, and Tony was surprised. He didn't expect there to actually be someplace he was supposed to be.

"And besides, if it was something of concern we would have seen Thor already. So take a chill pill, Fury."

"You do not, I repeat, you _do_ _not_ ask me to take a chill pill. This is a matter of national security!"

"Jarvis, shut off all incoming calls, please."

"Yes, sir."

"Stark, I will not sta—"

But Fury was cut off. _Finally_.

"Pepper, don't ever do that again. And what do you mean we have somewhere to be tonight?"

Pepper put away the phone. "You made a promise two weeks ago—"

Tony cut her off. "I make a lot of promises and you know I don't always keep them."

"Well, you should, Tony. You're the city's hero, and I would like to keep it that way. I don't care whether or not you want to go. You're coming." The tone in her voice made it clear that he was without a choice.

"So much for free will." He took another sip of his drink. "Ok, so what do you want me to do?"

"I made an appointment at a shelter downtown. We've promised to pay them a visit and serve soup to the homeless," Pepper replied. "There'll be an interviewer from the _New York Times_ and if all goes well we'll get some good publicity. I even made some arrangements with a construction company so we can give a few people a new change in life."

"Yeah, that's nice and all, Pep, but I'm not feeling particularly up to surrounding myself with a bunch of bums tonight."

She gave him a cold stare. "Get over it, Tony. Tonight you will serve soup to the homeless. And I will _not_ have you smelling like one. Get rid of your drink and take a shower."

"Aye, Commander," Tony gave a bright smile. "I'll also brush my teeth, comb my hair, and pick out my finest suit. Teach 'em what style is."

"Don't be so full of yourself, Tony. I am leaving since there are still preparations to be done beforehand. I expect you to be there in…" She checked her watch. "Fifty-five minutes. Jarvis has the address. Be there, Tony!"

Well, she sure didn't leave him with much time to take a decent shower. Being a public hero sure sucked ass sometimes. Serving a bunch of homeless people soup? Pfft, did it even have a point? The only good thing about homeless people was that they drank. He could relate to that. Perhaps he could even play a drinking game with them. That might brighten up his evening.

Tony emptied his glass and left for the bathroom. Showers took time, especially when the hot water felt so good rolling down your back.

"Sir?"

Tony turned off the water and stepped out from beneath the shower head. He grabbed a nearby red towel to cover himself. It had the name 'Stark' on it with gold-coloured embroidery.

"Yes, Jarvis?" Tony rubbed his jaw. Perhaps he should shave and trim a bit.

"You've been in the shower for thirty minutes. I advise you to get dressed and leave now."

Tony wiped his running nose and looked for the bottle of cold medicine. "Yeah, I'll do that…right after this." Tony walked to the bar in the living room. Still half wet and wearing his Stark towel, he took another pill from the bottle.

"Sir, I advise you against the use of more cold medicine. You've already had enough. Taking more could result in unwanted side effects, especially with the alcohol."

"Jarvis, shut up. I do not care and I will not get drunk from this." Tony took the bottle from the counter.

"Sir, I must protest against—"

"Jarvis, mute."

Silence followed. He was glad he'd had the foresight to build in a mute function for the A.I. He could live without its wise-ass comments for the moment.

Tony selected a grey suit, red shirt, and a grey tie with golden dots. He looked in the mirror and approved of his choice. _Hell, I always look good_.

He checked his watch. Eight more minutes. Too bad he could not wear his Ironman suit. Tony shrugged. He had flashy, fast cars. He would get there in time, even if he could not go as fast as he would have in the suit.

"Jarvis?"

"Yes, sir?"

Tony picked out a new Rolex to match his outfit. "Ready my Lamborghini. I'm leaving."

"Your ride is being readied, sir."

Tony entered his elevator, the doors closing swiftly behind him. It'd actually been quite a while since he'd driven a car. The last time was when Loki got shipped off to Asgard with Thor.

The doors opened with a 'swish,' displaying his garage. The car was ready and stood at the exit. Tony grabbed the handle and opened the door. "Whoa…"

He groaned as several black spots clouded his vision. "Yeah, this isn't so good. Oh well." Tony ignored the problem and got in the car. He turned the key and the motor roared like a beast. The gates of the garage opened automatically with the start of his vehicle, and Tony drove out at frightening speed.

He couldn't remember exactly when he started to feel sick. After all, those pills were supposed to make him feel better. His sneezing had stopped, but god, his head hurt! Not to mention those black spots he'd seen earlier.

He heard the voice of Jarvis in the background telling him they were almost there.

_Hmm, maybe I should have read the medication directions for those pills, or listened to Pepper_.

Tony took the next turn too fast and too sharp. The car lost its grip on the road.

He tried to control the steering wheel and managed to straighten out again. _Oh, god my head_. The thought barely crossed his mind when his vision became clouded again by black dots. He shook his head and the dark spots vanished. His mind became a bit clearer again. He turned his attention back to the road and his eyes widened.

"Oh, fuck."

A young man was frozen in the middle of the road, blinded by his car lights. And Tony was driving too fast to stop in time.

* * *

Thank you guys for the follows and fav's.

Don't forget to leave a review if you liked it, or if you feel things are not in order. I will feed off it like some kind of soul sucking demon.

And last but not least, big thanks to Sinister banana for beta reading.

* * *

As for my reviewers, i know i am slow in developing the FrostIron. But thrust me i will get there ^^ I know there might be odd words or sentences in here, unfortunately i am not from an English speaking country so i might type words wrong wrongly. Don't feel bad about pointing these out, i can only learn from my mistakes.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel or the Avengers, but I did buy a kickass Loki t-shirt.

Chapter 6

Pepper arrived early at the shelter. She always arrived early or perfectly on time. She had a spotless reputation that was only soiled by Tony's childish outbursts. Luckily for her, they had lessened after the Avengers defeat of the Chitauri and Loki. At least the runaway god of chaos had done some good.

The shelter organisation had been very helpful and given her a tour before its doors opened. It was an old, renovated house that was built for sturdiness rather than beauty. The structure was divided into sections. The first floor housed the kitchen, toilets, and a dining room that sometimes had other functions.

Pepper recalled seeing a small article in one of the local newspapers. An area doctor had transformed the shelter's dining room into a small emergency room during Loki's attack on the city. It gave the area's habitants their first shot at receiving basic first aid. The first floor also held showers and a communal area for washing, and there were three bedrooms each occupied by four bunk beds. The second and third floors only held bedrooms and toilets. You could donate clothing or other useful items in the entrance hall. Absolutely no space was wasted here, a thing Pepper greatly appreciated.

Pepper checked her watch. Tony should've been here already. She sighed inwardly. There were some things that Tony would never learn, like punctuality or being subtle…or keeping his promises to her. She was increasingly glad that she scheduled an exclusive interview but had given Tony a start time that was fifteen minutes early. If he had any sense left, he'd be here on time or regret it deeply.

She decided to walk outside and wait there.

People started passing by her at the entrance, and she could smell that the kitchens had opened for service. A young woman with dark circles around her eyes walked past accompanied by a young man who squeezed her shoulder in comfort. The last few weeks were hard on anyone who tried to pick up their normal lives, much less the people that had almost nothing to begin with.

A short, bald man started crossing the road. His coat was clearly too big for him, and his shoes looked overused. By all means, he looked like a homeless person. Yet under his dark moustache, the man had a broad warm smile on his face. It reminded her of the smile her grandfather used to give her when she was little.

A caring smile.

He looked at her with a grin." A good evening to you, Miss!" Then he turned around, looking at the sidewalk on the opposite side of the road. "Come on, Locke. Your royal bath is waiting."

The person he shouted to gave no noticeable reaction. The young man called Locke kept on walking, a tough look on his face. Locke's shirt was a faded blue and much too large for him. It also failed to hide his bandaged arm.

Pepper noticed that Locke's injury. She gave a concerned look.

"Yeah, he's not much of a talker but I can't blame him," the moustached man said. "I'm Bob, by the way. Pleased to meet ya!" Bob held out his hand in greeting and Pepper took it, giving it a firm shake.

"Pepper Potts. Nice to meet you."

"Potts, huh. The name sounds familiar."

Pepper cut the man off, something she normally wouldn't do to anyone aside from Tony. "What happened to him, Bob, if I may ask?"

Bob's smile faded a bit and his eyes saddened. "I don't know, but I would guess too much. I found him wounded and looking for food. Back at our camp he caught a high fever. But his Highness is doing a lot better now." The man had his smile back. "He sounds like a spoiled kid sometimes, but I can see he has a good head."

Bob's sentence was cut short by Locke's slightly raised voice calling out to him. It wasn't arrogant or demanding, but it had a certain resolve to it. Like a man that had just made a very important decision.

"Bob?"

Suddenly all that came next was the screeching sound of tires and the smell of burning rubber. Pepper's face paled an ashen-white as she recognised the red blur heading their way. "Oh god, no, Tony!" She cursed inwardly. How was it that things always got screwed up with him? She'd hoped for a steadier life after Loki's capture. Looking at the fast red blur, she thought to herself, '_Whatever happens, please let him be safe.'_

She feared for the worst but always hoped for the best.

Several things happened in that instant.

Bob and Pepper, who were both standing in front of the shelter, realized that there was nothing they could do in time. Their faces paled and their eyes widened in fear and worry. Bob stretched out his arm in vain, reaching towards Locke. He yelled out but the other man did not seem to hear him. His eyes only focused on the car careening his way.

Loki felt like he was glued to the ground. His mind told him to move and run, to magic himself away. He almost moved his hand to do so, forgetting that he was human momentarily. But he could not avoid the inevitable.

Tony sat in his car, a frozen expression on his face. In his mind he blamed the medication, his cold, and the alcohol. But mostly he blamed himself. He should have listened to Pepper, the one person he could always count on. The one person that cared for him even if he did screw things up royally. In a moment of clarity, he called out for Jarvis and told his A.I. to "_Do something!_"

Jarvis, of course, reacted with a polite. "Yes, sir." And he was fast.

Not the kind of fast that broke racing track records. No, Jarvis was much faster. If the A.I. could feel pride, he would feel it for this aspect of himself. That and his intelligence.

He calculated the distance and speed of their travel, taking into account the environment and potential trajectory of the vehicle. He checked the stability of the car and the durability of the brakes.

Before Tony could say anything else, the brakes were pushed in and the steering wheel turned. Tony Stark was no longer in any control of the vehicle.

Rubber tires left skid marks on the street, leaving behind the smell of burning rubber. The car took a sharp turn with so much force that it flipped to the side and rolled against a lamppost which only slowed it down just a bit and gave it a spin. The Lamborghini finally crashed into the butcher store across the street. It came to a heavy halt half inside the store.

It looked like chaos. The cars wheels were still spinning. But the Lamborghini itself was dreadfully silent. Pepper had already reacted, her smartphone still in her hand after dialing for an ambulance and further assistance. A black car stopped at the shelter and a man with a camera came hurrying out.

"_Great_, _the press is already here_." She could hardly care to worry about them.

Bob ran to the wreck of the store and Pepper followed suit. The media were going to have a field day. Pepper could already predict the headlines for tomorrow. It had all been so positive for Tony these last several weeks with only stories and articles about Iron Man's heroic acts. The city sure loved its gold and red savior.

Pepper held her heart, hoping that both men were still alive and well. But mostly she worried about Tony's safety as she called out for him. "Tony!" She stood in front of the store trying to get a good view. The car had gone straight through the window, tearing the door off in its wake. The back of the car was sticking out into the road and looked like a truck ran over it. She heard sirens wailing in the distance as the ambulance quickly rushed to their aid.

Bob had already entered the store which was, according to him, the most logical place for Locke to be. He desperately hoped he would not find a bloody pulp of a body. Meanwhile the first ambulance arrived outside accompanied by a police car.

Pepper watched Bob go into the store as he undertook action instead of just standing around. He searched the place for any sign of movement. Glass lay scattered on the ground and the store's torn-off front door was half hidden under it.

Pepper made a fist. She was so angry. That fool of a man! He'd better live so she could take it out on him later!

From the corner of her eye, Pepper suddenly spotted movement underneath the torn-off door. It was the shape of a moving foot, kicking it from underneath. Without regard for her own wellbeing, she quickly rushed toward it. But before she could try to lift it, a hand was laid down on her shoulder.

"Ma'am, you need to let the paramedics do their job. Please."

That was when she noticed that her whole body was shaking. The man that had spoken lent her his arm. Another paramedic rushed to the scene. Two others carrying a stretcher followed him, readying it for transport. A camera's flash illuminated her face and she told herself repeatedly that she had to be strong.

She heard movements and the sound of glass crunching and breaking behind her. A loud groan followed as somebody was lifted onto the stretcher. Pepper turned her head to look but the police man was blocking her view. She gave him her best _don't-you-dare-cross-me_ look. The cop moved immediately.

The man on the stretcher was breathing and she saw his hand move.

That man, however, wasn't Tony.

_…Bleep_

_…Bleep_

"Sir?" a soft sounding voice said.

Eyes fluttered open, signaling that he was awake.

_…Bleep_

God, that sound was annoying! He groaned.

"Sir!"

"That was one hell of a party." Wait a second. Why was he upside down? Slowly his memory came back to him. He was stuck inside his car still in the seatbelt with the airbag pressing against his face. "Jarvis, vitals please."

"Sir, I cannot do a full body scan, but everything seems to be in place. I do, however, recommend that you get medical attention."

Tony felt very glad for the fact that he had reinforced most of his cars by adjusting their structural base and skeleton. It made them more resistant, just in case situations such as this arose.

"I also recommend that you get out, sir."

"Jarvis, sound the car alarm if it is available." He needed to let them, or rather Pepper, know that he was alive and well.

The high pitched car alarm went off. Pepper recognized it and felt relief wash over her immediately.

Bob also heard the noise and made his way to the driver-side door. He looked in to see Tony hanging upside down in an uncomfortable position. "I take it ya need some help here?" Bob reached into his pocket to grab his pocketknife. He cut the seatbelt that entrapped Tony in the vehicle.

" Thanks, man. I appreciate the help, Jarvis, deplete the airbags."

But Bob had already ripped a hole in them. The air came out a loud hiss. Then Bob offered his hand, helping Tony crawl out of the wreckage.

"Anthony Stark!"

Tony recognized Pepper's angry and authoritative voice. And boy was he happy to hear it.

"Right in here, Pep." He got up from his knees, the elder man still supporting him. "Thanks again."

Bob took a good look at the man he was helping. He could smell the alcohol on his breath...and driving a sports car! What was this guy thinking? As he scrutinized the man's facial features, he suddenly recognized him.

Knowing who he was made Bob's blood boil. This man – this _hero_ – was supposedly a genius. He had brains. He should learn how to use them.

Bob could only ask him one thing as he seethed at this revelation. "Are ya alright now? Everything in one piece?"

Tony nodded in response. "Yep, good to go again."

That's when Ironman Tony Stark got punched in the face by a very angry Bob.

* * *

And once again, thank you lovely people for reading. Thank you followers, and big thank you to the reviewers! I love you guys. And I know it took ages for them to meet face to face, but that is coming next.

To my revieuwer Closet: Thank you for pointing out the bare/bear mistake. Since i am not from an English speaking country i know i make mistakes like these but often i can't pick them out myself. I have also edited the author notes., i am hoping they are more clear now. If you notice anything else feel free to speak your mind, one can only learn ^^.

A big thank you goes out to my beta Sinister Banana


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel or the Avengers.

But I would not say no if they wanted to give me the rights.

**Chapter 7**

Tony felt pretty good for a man that was recently involved in a traffic accident. He only had a few sore muscles and some bruising from being squished like a pancake. He'd definitely suffered much worse incidents and injuries from playing Iron Man.

But this accident couldn't be blamed on any other person than himself. It was made by Tony Stark, and he wasn't the only one to get hurt in the process.

He'd deserved the punch the homeless man gave him.

Pepper made him go to the hospital for a medical check-up. Tony did not see the point in it, but Pepper made it quite clear that returning home was not the best option. He could tell she was relieved when he didn't try to argue with her. He also noticed disappointment and anger on her face when she turned to face the press on his behalf.

He disliked hospitals and doctors trying to pry him for information. He kept his arc reactor to himself, not wanting any strangers to prod at it, during the relatively quick examination.

Right now he was sitting on the edge of his hospital bed waiting for Pepper's arrival. His was the only bed in the room. He had his elbows resting on his knees while his hands held his head. A dejected look crossed his face as he thought about the incident.

Tony could handle dragging himself into trouble. The times he'd done so were so numerous he could not count them on his hands alone. He'd always had a knack for diving head first into trouble, and if he didn't find it then trouble would come looking for him.

He knew that the other man survived the crash. Pepper had already come into his room to confirm it. Afterward, she left to leave him alone with his thoughts. According to Jarvis, the man should only have minimal damage sustained by the accident. On all accounts Tony should be happy that the only "dead" thing coming out of the crash was the hunk of metal that used to be his car.

However, a single thought plagued his brain which rendered any happy feelings numb.

"_I could have killed him_."

His mind raced back to a time when another innocent person had been the victim of his reckless behaviour. It was a man he'd only known briefly but had befriended rather quickly. That person had a kind heart which not only placed a certain amount of faith in him but also changed the way he viewed the world.

"_Ho Yinsen._"

Kind, noble, and calm (not to mention very forgiving towards a man whose weapons wreaked havoc all across the globe), Yinsen was a true friend in every possible meaning of the word. Not only did he perform the surgery that kept Tony alive, but he'd also ensured that Tony stayed sane while they were in that gruesome hell pit of a prison.

Their captors had them working on creating weapons capable of wiping out entire villages. Both Tony and Yinsen knew they would not be released and would only be killed after their captors thought they had outlived their use. So Tony and Yinsen formulated an escape plan to bring the first "Iron Man" to life. They bonded while forging the armour. Yinsen discussed weaponry and asked if that was the legacy the "great" Stark wanted to leave behind.

Tony made up his mind then.

Yinsen made the ultimate sacrifice on the day of their escape. He died willingly so that Tony could live. The last words that Yinsen had spoken continued to haunt him.

"_Don't waste your life."_

As Iron Man, he made a difference helping people and saving the city – your basic, essential, standard, heroic butt-kickings. Yet despite this, Tony felt that Yinsen would be disappointed by his actions as a normal man.

_This isn't what he would've wanted. I'm still wasting my life. I still let others get hurt by my own selfishness._

Pepper could handle the press. She'd always done an excellent job of beating around the bush without lying. She'd scold him afterward and force him to do more charity work and make "positive" public appearances. Pepper could do a lot of things, but she could not help with the disappointment that overcame Tony when he was alone. He'd still smile to Pepper and crack jokes. He'd even pay a visit to the man he nearly killed and continue making promises that he probably could not keep.

A knock on the door alerted him of Pepper's return. He grinned as she opened the door.

"Any good news, Pep? I could use some cheering up."

She practically glared at him. Ouch, if looks could kill he'd be a dead man.

"Come on, I know you've been to his room, probably negotiating or calming Bob's anger." Impressive. He'd actually managed to recall the name of the short man that punched him. "And I feel perfectly fine, thank you for asking ."

She sighed and a small smile spread across her face, making it light up a bit.

"You're correct about that, Tony. I did talk with them. And suffice to say the anger was calmed down."

The corner of her mouth lifted. Was he seeing this correctly? Was Pepper smirking at him? This could not end well. "I sense a 'but' coming," Tony said.

"You're coming with me right now to make a formal apology."

Tony nodded. "Oh yes, the press will love that. I can show them this cool black eye I go—"

She pointed at him. "You will apologise directly to Locke Ladislav."

Tony raised an eyebrow. "_Who?_"

"The man you put in the hospital due to your reckless behaviour."

Tony was reluctant to show his guilt.

"You're not getting out of this," Pepper added. "And you can't crawl out of the other conditions either."

"Conditions? When did I get those?" He looked into Pepper's eyes, noticing the tiredness and weariness that filled them.

"I can't deal with this. It's draining me of my strength, and frankly I refuse to continue with this anymore."

Tony gestured in question. "_This_ being what?" he asked.

"Us. You," Pepper answered and sighed. "Tony, I love you as a friend. But I can't run a business, be a friend, and constantly babysit you! This accident was the final straw. From now on I'm concentrating on work alone and you will let me have some peace of mind."

He gave her the trademark sad Stark puppy eyes. "But I can't—"

"Zip it, Anthony Edward Stark."

Oh dear god. Not only had she interrupted him twice successfully during this conversation, but now she was using his full name. _I'm in deep shit_, Tony thought to himself.

"You're getting a personal assistant."

_That's not so bad. I've had those before_. He nodded in acknowledgement. No point in adding fuel to her spitfire, especially since he'd had a penchant for ending up in bed with previous assistants. In fact, his only "secretary" to keep his advances at bay turned out to be the Black Widow. Now that he knew her true identity he would not touch her with a ten foot pole, though he still thought she was hot. Not to mention the wrath of Hawkeye was not something he wanted to deal with. Tony would let Barton and Romanov figure out their relationship and build an assassin's nest somewhere.

He smiled picturing the ridiculous image of the pair in a real bird's nest.

"I know what you're thinking, and I am not giving you a choice in who _I_ will hire for _you_," Pepper said, making sure the intonation of 'I' and 'you' was just right. It should give him a slight scare to know what she was really up to.

"You're joking, Pep. How will I know if the person you hire has the right qualifications? It takes more than the average person to withstand my natural charms." A smug smile crossed his face. "In fact I think all of them, no matter how qualified, snuck into my bedroom at some point."

"I will take my chances, Anthony. Now get up and come with me, or so help me god I will drag you to Locke's hospital room."

Loki slipped in and out of consciousness during the ride to the hospital. He could sense a person wrapping something around his neck and attending to his wounds. The engine of the ambulance rumbled softly and the vehicle shook on its wheels after every bump in the road.

Why did these small creatures keep on trying? If they knew who he was, would they still be treating him like this? Loki wanted to protest against the gross infiltration of his privacy. He tried to raise his arm, reaching for one of the men attending his wounds. In reality, though, he just looked like a poor injured man who was pale as a sheet and in need of assistance.

One of the men looked at him and muttered. "Poor bastard."

Loki tried to glare but his eyelids would not obey his commands any longer. He settled on cursing the man with his thoughts.

The first time Loki woke up he had grave trouble opening his eyes. It felt like they had crusted over. He forced them open to see a sliver of light. White was all he saw. Bright, white lights and the vague contours of two people. From the intonation of their voices, he could decipher that they were discussing something and he wondered if S.H.I.E.L.D. had finally caught up with him. It had taken them long enough.

"Locke, are you awake?"

Loki recognised that voice immediately. Even if he didn't have a clear view of the man, he had no doubt that it was Bob. But then who was the other person and, more importantly, what were they talking about?

He forced his concentration and the room seemed clearer. Behind Bob was a familiar-looking woman. Where had he seen her before? The answer was right on the edge of his mind.

His eyes closed against his will. He heard her say something but could not discern any intelligible words. Everything around him became a disordered blur.

The next time Loki woke up his eyes reacted normally, but he was still temporarily blinded by the vivid lights in the room. He recognised his settings to be a hospital room which meant that nobody had found out who he was yet.

Correction: _What I am no more_.

He felt uncomfortable and too warm despite this being the first time he'd slept in a bed in what seemed like ages. He shifted around and realized there was a transparent cord coming out of his wrist. They had put something inside of him!

Not knowing what it was, he reached for it but his shoulder hurt as he did so. He noticed that his left shoulder and arm were bandaged with a clean sterile cloth. He stopped trying to pry at his wrist. The arm felt hot and heavy but clean. He yanked at the pale green sheet, wanting to see what further damage his body held.

"What is this hideous contraption they have me wearing?" Loki's clothing was gone and instead he was wearing a simple, long shirt that was the same pale green as the bed sheets. There was a cast around his left leg. He didn't even attempt to move it since it might cause more damage.

Humans had a barbaric and rough idea of tending to the wounded. Healing magic had never been his strong point, but fixing a broken bone was only a simple flick of the finger when compared to this clumsy block.

The door to his room opened and he saw Bob waving to someone outside in the hall. "Yeah, I'll see ya soon, Miss Potts. I swear I won't punch him this time or any other time as long as he holds his promises."

Loki recalled his earlier wake-up and the two figures discussing matters over him. They were talking behind his back! To think he had wanted to thank Bob earlier for his minimal attentions.

"Your Highness, glad to see you managed to open your eyes long enough for me to say hi," Bob said while smiling at him.

The door closed behind the older man, but Loki waited until the footsteps in the hall faded before responding. He raised the arm that had the IV stuck inside. "Explain this. _Now_," he spoke in harsh, demanding tones.

Bob took a seat on one of the hospital chairs. "I'd better sit down for this one."

Loki lay still in the bed as he listened intently to the story coming out of the man's mouth. It seemed like it was by a stroke of luck that both he and the driver survived with only minimal injuries. By all accounts he should be happy that the driver was apparently smart enough to do some mid-air calculations and thus avoid full frontal contact between Loki and the red sports car. It was quite the accomplishment for a mere mortal, though not one worthy of actual praise considering that the man was a dim-witted idiot in the first place for causing the accident.

The moment the car tilted broke a street light which fell down loosening the cable that held the store sign up. In that moment, Loki was hit by the cable, sending him out of the car's trajectory .

The doctors would soon provide the type of leg cast that he could walk around with and the wound on his arm got cleaned and disinfected, but it would leave a scar. _My first scar,_ he thought to himself.

Bob told him about punching the man that he so kindly referred to as 'that rich bastard.' "God, I was so worried and angry for you. I helped him out of the car, but the moment I knew he was alright I gave him a good old punch in the face." Loki grinned. "Well done, Bob. I congratulate you for the feeble attempt of revenge."

"Oh, Your Highness, do not praise me so much. Miss Potts is bringing over the man that caused the accident soon. She is forcing him to apologise. I would not like to be in his shoes right now. Miss Potts is one fierce woman."

"Well then, anything else worth telling me, Bob?" Loki had a feeling the man was keeping something unsaid and purposely hiding it from him. Loki could do nothing but ask himself why.

"Hmmm? Not right now, Locke. Rest is all you need. Anything else can come later."

Loki was right. The man _was_ hiding something from him. Now more than ever he wished the medication had not left him so drowsy earlier. Otherwise he would have stayed awake to follow the conversation between that Potts woman and Bob.

Loki felt betrayed.

_Why is this upsetting me so_? _The feeble emotions inside this body are so conflicting. No wonder gods have always played games here_. _Humans give off…much reaction_.

Their little chat was disturbed by a knock on the door, which opened to reveal a woman with sleek blond hair and a strict face that gave her the look of being in total control.

She looked at him and introduced herself. "Pepper Potts, pleased to meet you Locke Ladislav. I hope this single bedroom we've procured for you has suited your needs."

So this room was her doing. "I was wondering why I was not put in a shared room. And yes, so far it has suited my needs." He decidedly did not give her a 'thank you.' After all, they owed this to him. He did, however, smile at her – the same smile he'd given before to the young woman named Vicky at the doughnut shop. If this woman was anything like the others he had met on this planet…

"Do not think for even a second that I can be drawn in by fake charm. I've had my fair share of that already." Her face was serious and her tone hard and clear.

_Well, some exceptions are bound to exist_.

"I am wasting time here, Pep."

_That voice_. Loki's smile faded instantly as something darker crossed it.

"Heading in, whether you're ready or not." A familiar, dark brown mess of unruly hair appeared as the man began to step into the room while declaring his entrance. His suit was clean and crisp-looking, as if nothing had happened in the hours prior. Expensive sunglasses covered his eyes as the man peered down at his watch.

Pepper gave him a glare.

"Oh get over it, Pep. You know I'm not one to sit and wait patiently." The man entered the room and stopped next to 'Locke's' bedside.

"YOU!" Loki gritted his teeth in sheer anger, giving the man a glare full of contempt. He hissed out the name in a voice full of malice. "Stark."

Neither Bob nor Pepper had foreseen this reaction. Even Loki could not have foreseen this. The anger that welled up inside him at the wrongs Stark had done just reached a peak point. The old Loki would have kept his composure but the new, more-human Loki just followed his basic instincts.

Somehow he managed to lunge forward out of the bed, tearing the IV from his wrist in the meantime. Managing to grab a startled and surprised Stark, they fell to the ground in a tangled mess. Loki slapped him across the face and grasped his collar, raising Tony's head from the ground.

"You caused this!"

Tony replied, "Well it wasn't just me…"

"Ha, and you dare to call yourself a hero. You are nothing but a common drunk! You even reek of liquor."

What was it with people today? They all kept cutting off his sentences. "Hey there, buddy. Mind getting off me?" Tony carefully placed a hand on the man's arm.

"Do not dare to touch me! You coward. Do not pretend to care !" Loki released the collar, letting Stark's head fall on the floor with a thud.

That comment hurt and he unconsciously squeezed the other man's arm in his grip.

"AAACK!"

Instantly Tony realised what he was doing. And he released his hold on the man thinking. _How did he manage to get me like that?_ Bob took Loki and helped him back to his bed. "Alright, that's enough excitement for one day." Never did he think the usually quiet and stoic Locke would get angry like this. He wondered why seeing Stark had triggered such a reaction from the other. He also noticed that Locke's wound had ripped open again. The bandages around his shoulder darkened.

Tony stood up and looked to Pepper who clearly had no idea what was going on. _Great, so I've managed to hurt the same homeless guy twice now. Good going there, Tony,_ he thought to himself.

Loki felt so drained of strength and power that he had no spirit left to protest when Bob put him back to bed. Human bodies had a terrible way of reminding their owners of their limitations, and he could definitely feel his body's limits as tiredness washed over him.

The room's three other occupants began discussing the situation, but mostly it consisted of Tony getting scolded and eventually pushed out of the room. Before Loki knew it, he felt sleep wash over him and he took it gratefully.

* * *

Alright, finally they meet. Sorry for the long, long wait.

Thank you readers, followers, and favoriters!

Thank you kind reviewers, you guys give me courage to go on this quest! don't forget to review the next chapter ( or something similar)

And last but never least, thank you sinister banana for being my beta!


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I still do not own the Avengers.

* * *

**Chapter 8**

The hospital wasn't too bad, especially if your former lodgings had included a box and a jail cell with a hard, stone floor. For the first time in nearly 20 days, Loki ate a real meal. Of course, the cheese looked like plastic and the bread felt like a sponge, but the hospital's hot meals were more than edible. For some foreign reason he actually enjoyed the carrots and peas he was having tonight. This was his last meal before being released from the hospital to go his own way.

He knew Heimdall was watching him. He was always watching. He was probably even amused at the sight of the great god of chaos and mischief struggling to get the last peas on his fork right now.

Loki would never admit it, but ever since this morning he'd been feeling lost. He wanted to find comfort in his own anger, but all he felt was a dreadful boredom. For the past few days he'd been "confined" to his room, waiting until this slow healing process finished. Sometimes people stopped by. There had been a doctor in to examine his leg and a young nurse with black hair that changed his bandages on a regular basis. She also tended his shoulder.

Loki treated her the same way he'd treated Vicky, that girl in the doughnut store. Just like her, the nurse could not resist him. It seemed like the woman named Pepper had a much stronger will than most Midgardian women.

Loki charmed the nurse and learned that her name was Cassandra – Sandy to her friends – and she insisted he use her more personal name. He assumed he looked horrible with his dull blond hair. The stubbles on his face had also grown into a small, soft beard. Ugh.

Midgardian women had low standards. The moment Loki gently touched the nurse's hand, holding her finger lightly before letting it slip out of his palm, she turned around with flushed cheeks.

He asked her for something to read, a few books or interesting study material. She complied with a dreamy sigh. Before he knew it, she was back with a stack of magazines. If the material she'd brought him was interesting study material, then no wonder they acted so foolish. They read rubbish.

He told her that the items she brought weren't pleasing to read, albeit in kinder words. She inquired about his taste in reading material. Loki contemplated the question. What would be useful to learn? If he was to learn Midgardian knowledge, it had to be something advantageous.

Then it hit him. _I can no longer speak the all-tongue_.

He appeared slightly shy as he looked at her in embarrassment." Languages." He put a bit more assurance into his next sentence. "I would like to learn a foreign language, and perhaps recent history or geography."

She looked surprised at his request. After all, what kind of homeless man had a thirst for knowledge?

He managed to keep up the slightly embarrassed look. _According to the magazine this is supposedly considered cute for men. _He looked down and fumbled with his hands.

"I am aware that this is a strange request," Loki looked up earnestly at her. "You don't have to do this if it causes you trouble."

"Oh no! Don't worry about anything, Locke." She and some of the other nurses had started using "his" first name. It showed that they had a certain amount of trust and affection for him. She nodded to him in agreement. "After all, this might be your opportunity to study."

A broad grin spread across his face._ God, I hope she gets out soon._

"Yes, you're absolutely right, Cassandra."

She almost giggled when he said her name. "I told you to call me _Sandy_." She blushed. "I'll be back around lunch. Don't go anywhere!"

_It's not like I can, you stupid cow_.

"Sandy" closed the door behind her. He sighed, glad that he was finally rid of her.

Loki later got a "get-well" basket from all the nurses on his hospital floor. It was Cassandra's idea of course. At least it wasn't filled with mindless magazines. Instead it had a French study book, a pen and paper to take notes, a thick book containing recent world history and events, and a novel of decent quality called _The Stand_.

The books kept him entertained, relieving him of his earlier dull boredom. He took pride in the fact that he still picked up languages at unheard speeds. Basic French was now under his control. It was a pity that nobody here spoke it so he could test his newfound speech.

Finally after five days of staying put, they removed the heavy lump of cast surrounding his leg. His fractured bone had set and could heal on its own now. The doctor gave him a new thinner cast that could be removed for sleeping or bathing.

At last, tomorrow, he would be released from the hospital. It was his last evening here.

"_Finally_!" He caught the last of the peas with his fork. "Defiant vegetables."

"I see you've won the battle, Locke."

Loki did not feel the need to turn around. Bob was keeping things from him now.

"I know you're upset because you think I'm keeping something from ya, Highness. And yes, I am. Or at least I was." Bob did not look the least bit guilty. Instead he looked happy.

"So tell me, what was so important that it couldn't be said?" Loki finally asked.

"I got a job offering from Miss Potts."

Loki raised an eyebrow. How could Bob not tell him such a simple thing?

"I'm leaving New York tomorrow. Ya don't need to worry."

"_Why would I—_"

"I'll be back, but not for a while. Something about starting at the bottom again."

"Well, congratulations, Bob. I'm glad you got something out of this event." Loki felt bothered by Bob's leaving. He was just reluctant admitting it to himself.

Bob touched his shoulder. "I really will be back ya know. Just give it some time. In the meantime, keep up with those studies. According to Miss Potts, you're doing well with them."

_How does she know_?

"Well I'm off. See ya in a few weeks, Locke, and try to stay out of trouble for me, ok?" Bob left smiling and waving at him.

_This doesn't bother me at all. Why would I need anybody to rely on? Let alone a lowly insect like him. _He left the hospital's dining hall and went back to his room. Bob leaving felt like a betrayal, something he was all too familiar with. This time was different from before though. For some reason he felt even more alone than he had before the accident. He waved the feeling away. It must be some kind of human reaction.

When he opened the door he was surprised by the person standing in his room, flipping through his notebook with the look only a strict teacher can produce. "Miss Potts, to what do I owe the pleasure?" He smiled smoothly.

She shuffled through a few more pages before she closed the notebook. "You've made considerable progress with your studies. It's quite remarkable for a man of your stature."

"My stature being that of the poor bastard that got run over by Stark?" he countered, both pleased and insulted by Pepper's comment and the fact that she was rifling through his personal items.

"No, being a jobless man without a home."

_Touché_.

"I have a job offer for you, Locke. It's similar to Bob's. But I noticed over the last few days that you have many more qualities than I originally thought."

"Flattering words for a woman who spied on me. You could have just asked."

She smiled at him. "It's my job to know everything. I do my job well."

"It seems you do, Miss Potts. I suppose my congratulations are in order for a job well done."

"Thank you," she replied cheekily. "But I told you, the reason I'm here is to offer you a job." She paused momentarily as she set his notebook down. "However, I think I need to reconsider it."

Loki grinned. "Am I overqualified? What a shame. _Really_." This woman was playing games. He might as well play his own.

Pepper laughed. "Actually, yes. And I think you'll want something more challenging than what I originally had in mind. So I have a new deal." Her eyes gleamed mischievously.

Loki couldn't help but listen.

**-/-**

"Oh god, this nightmare doesn't end!"

Tony regretted the day he'd agreed to Pepper's demands. _Damn that evil woman_. She'd even managed to get Fury in on this ordeal, not that getting Fury to agree to such a thing was hard to accomplish. Nick seemed to hate his guts more than usual lately. It didn't help that he and Bruce weren't finding anything on the anomaly that originated from Asgard. The only thing known was the point of impact. No other traces were found.

Tony was now subjected to several ridiculous conditions. So far he'd listened, but only because he owed Pepper after everything he put her through. She'd even made him a list, and as he was now holding it he was happily breaking Rule #2.

1. No leaving Stark tower. _So far so good._

2. No drinking. _Yeah right_, he rolled his eyes sipping his scotch. _Nice try there, Pep_.

3. No parties. _But I live, therefore it should be celebrated_.

So far he'd managed to stay home trying to be a "good" boy, but he completely ignored Rule #2. It would take much more than recent events and Pepper combined to keep him away from alcohol.

Staying home also meant he could work on his suit. He decidedly did not do work for S.H.I.E.L.D. '_Fuck them'_ was his general opinion on that right now.

He also called the tow service after the accident. He wanted his car back despite its appearance. Presently, the wrecked vehicle lay in pieces down in the lab he'd momentarily transformed into a makeshift workshop. He might try to make something decent from the pieces because right now it didn't even look like a car. It was just junk and metal covering the floor. The drink in his hand served as extra inspiration while he contemplated what to do with the car.

"Any ideas, Jarvis?"

"Plenty, sir."

"And you're not sharing them? I'm severely wounded by this. I thought you were a better friend." Tony had no problems calling a machine he created a friend. Jarvis couldn't betray him like other people so no harm could be done.

"Sir, you could provide a better example if you cleaned the living room carpet. I warned you last night not to spill your drink on it due to its white colouration. Yet somehow you did."

"Spoilsport," Tony muttered sullenly. Ok, so maybe some harm could be done.

"Well, you did do it, sir."

"Just have somebody else remove the stain. Whose idea was it anyway to buy white carpet?"

"Yours, sir."

_God, why did I want white? It's a terrible colour that doesn't hide anything_.

As if sensing his question, the A.I. said," You were drunk at the time, sir."

"Well that explains everything. I want a new carpet that's red. It goes well with my radiating personality and good looks." He emptied his drink. "Now please tell me my dinner is almost here. I'm starving."

"It hasn't arrived yet, sir, but may I advise on ordering less pizza in the future?"

Tony shrugged as he put down his drink. "Hey, I'm hungry. You can't blame me for ordering five pizzas."

Jarvis paused. "Sir, the delivery boy just dropped your pizzas off. They are on their way up."

Tony thanked his own brilliance for installing a food elevator that went directly to his penthouse. He hated cold food and waiting for somebody to bring it up. "Perfect. Put on a good movie. I'll be downstairs."

He left his empty glass on a workbench. Dummy would get it sooner or later. Right now he only cared about having his hunger satiated.

If Jarvis had a mouth, the A.I. might have grinned at Tony's words.

The movie started playing.

"Jarvis, what is this?"

"The _Lion King_, sir, and your dinner."

"Ok, I like the dinner. But would you care to tell me why the _Lion King_ of all things is playing in my living room?"

"Worldwide it is considered either a good or a great movie. I thought you might enjoy the change."

"Very funny, Jarvis. Now put on something decent." He took a clean glass, deciding on a brandy instead of whisky to go with his pizza. He slouched into the couch and grabbed a slice of pizza with his free hand.

"Sir, Miss Potts is here," Jarvis announced.

_"Shit, my drink_!" He looked around for a place to hide it. _Fuck it. I'm busted anyway._

"Anthony."

"This is not what it looks like."

She crossed her arms. "So you're not drinking while stuffing yourself with pizza and watching the _Lion King_?"

"Ok, so this is… exactly… what it looks like."

"Can you not eat and talk at the same time?" she said disgustedly.

He swallowed his food before replying. "I can, but it's a waste of time, Pep."

He lifted his drink, wanting a good sip before Pepper got it in her head to take it away from him. That's when he noticed there was someone else coming up on the elevator. _What the hell?_

"Pepper, why did Jarvis not tell me about my other guest?" He was not happy about this. Not happy in the slightest. The only person that could order Jarvis to not tell him something was Pepper.

"He's here on my invitation."

"_He?" _Tony shot her a glare as he reached for his second box of pizza.

"Your new personal assistant of course. I found somebody with all the right qualifications."

Tony nearly choked when the man came into view.

The newcomer drawled smoothly, a smirk barely evident in his voice. "Good evening, Stark."

* * *

wauw, i got allot of reactions on the last chaper, you guys made me blush. Really, i'm feeling them feels (lol)

As always thank you for following and or favoriting.

I have made a few adjustments in the previous chapters, still if you notice a spelling fault or something send me a pm. Still a foreign idiot over here sometimes ( yes i use a dictionairy :p).

Thank you sinister Banana for beta-ing you are enormously appriciated.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: Still not the owner of Marvel.

* * *

**Chapter 9**

"_I have a new deal_."

Loki listened with curiousity to Pepper's idea, and honestly he was quite fascinated by her offer. Yes, one could still say there were many negative sides to it, but the positives far outweighed the negatives. Not to mention all the fun available to him. And the opportunities!

He'd take immense joy in the fact that Tony Stark would have to listen to him and obey his commands. That man would surely struggle and give a verbal fight. But Loki knew that Stark would have no say in the matter if Pepper decided that he – _"Locke Ladislav"_ – would be Tony's new personal assistant.

He found it amusing that Pepper was about to unknowingly throw a man she deeply cared for into the "loving" arms of the enemy, placing her trust in Loki's ability to guide or coerce Tony into listening.

Of course there were risks, but he did not look like his former self anymore. His more Aesir looks deceived the eyes. He also had no choice but to accept living quarters in Stark Tower. That would prove less than pleasing. But who would ever suspect that Antony Stark's perfectly human assistant was the former god of chaos?

No, this offer sounded too delicious to resist, and Loki let the answer roll from his tongue.

"I accept this opportunity."

_With pleasure_.

"When would you like me to start, Miss Potts?" He kept his face a mask of indifference, keeping the mad laugh at the back of his mind. _Eheheheheh_.

"Tonight. I hate prolonging this so I'll fill you in with the details during our drive over to the penthouse. I'm taking this opportunity to also provide you with a change of clothes seeing as you have no possessions. You need to make sure you get appropriate attire over the next few days. As Tony's assistant, you need to be ready for anything so make sure to get at least one decent suit."

Loki smirked. _Finally, I can get out of these bag-like, worn-out garments. They have far outlived their original purpose._

"And have that thing," she gestured to his growing beard, "shaved off."

_I would have shaved, cut, or burned it off already if given the chance_. He rubbed his chin. After a full month of not tending to it, the dirty blond hairs had grown much longer than he liked.

"Gladly," he said.

"Right, I'll be downstairs. Make sure you're ready in fifteen minutes." Pepper left him to get dressed. As she walked away she flipped her cell phone to dial their driver.

_Well, at least these garments are clean_. Loki inspected the clothing Pepper had left on the bed. She must have gathered them on short notice, but at least the size matched and the colours didn't clash. He discarded the clothes he'd been wearing – a faded orange shirt with dark green and pale yellow symbols. _A relic from the past_.

An older nurse had provided him with clothing her son used to wear. "Used to" being the correct term after hearing that these garments came from an era called the early nineties. He hoped the designer would eternally burn for creating this atrocity. At least the grey sweatpants were comfortable.

Dark grey jeans lay on the bed accompanied by a simple long-sleeved black shirt. She even had the decency to provide him with suitable undergarments, something he wasn't wearing right now but had desperately wanted. Appreciative to a certain degree, he got dressed, revelling in the clean feeling of new fabric against bare skin.

Now he only needed to get rid of that annoying fuzz called a beard. Then he could consider himself somewhat presentable.

Packing would not be difficult considering he had no worldly possessions aside from a few books. He did miss that aspect of his previous home. His room in Asgard had held important tomes that were now probably in the hands of brute fools who couldn't recognise their worth. The knowledge books held had more power over things than fists had any day.

He picked up his belongings and left the hospital room, giving a friendly smile to a passing nurse. _Yes, goodbye to you all and good riddance_.

-/-

"You're early," Pepper noted.

"Of course I am. Why would I be otherwise?" Loki saw no point in waiting inside the hospital room until the clock had marked his time to leave. "Dawdling has no point. I suspect you have similar views."

"Locke, you're correct. I'm pleasantly surprised," Pepper smiled. "Generally the people around me have no respect for deadlines so timely arrivals are rather scarce." _Especially from the person named Anthony Stark._

Silently Pepper hoped that some of Locke's behaviour would rub off on Tony but you can never be too sure. It was hard imagining Tony taking this new assistant seriously. At least she was sure that Locke wouldn't be talked out of anything, let alone end up in Tony's bed after a few days of work. That is, if you can call making bad coffee "work."

"We should leave," Pepper suddenly said. "Tony's probably ignoring his new rules and drinking again."

"Can't have that now, can we?" Loki shook away the memory of a bright red car speeding towards him. He'd felt so frozen with fright that he'd stood there just like a stunned animal. Even now he felt shameful for his actions.

Pepper shook her head. "Alcohol is not entirely to blame, but I can't deny it played its role. Part of your job is to try and keep Tony's public drunkenness to a minimum. Trust me when I say that'll be a difficult accomplishment."

"I'll do what I can, Miss Potts. It is, after all, in both yours and my own interests. Suffice to say I myself am not overly fond of drunk people."

_Or drunk Asgardians. Not that there is much of a difference between the two. They both act like toddlers_.

A long, sleek, black car came into view and halted near the sidewalk. The driver exited and gave them a polite wave. "Good evening, Miss Potts."

"Evening, Happy Take us to the tower, will you? By the way, this is Locke Ladislav. He'll be Tony's personal assistant from now on."

The driver opened the door to the back seats, revealing the light grey interior and the leather car seats. "Sir," Harvey gave a nod to Loki, who did not mind the gesture at all.

The drive to the tower was short and silent, and much to Loki's dissatisfaction he felt hungry. He also felt nervous, its intrusion biting on the edges of his conscious brain. As time passed it finally became so strong that he couldn't ignore it. Before he realized it, he spoke out loud.

"Do you think it will be alright?"

_This man is an enigma. He's secure and in control of himself one moment, and then suddenly his emotions take over_. Pepper couldn't help but notice the similarities between some of Locke's mannerisms and Tony's, though the man before her definitely had a different way of showing them.

Pepper took a deep breath. "I won't lie," she said rather delicately. "I don't think Tony's going to be happy that you're his new assistant. But after a few days he'll calm down. Who knows? You two might even befriend each other."

It was not the answer he'd been expecting, and the look she gave surprised him with its kindness and warmth. It wasn't the least bit condescending, and somehow he saw her eyes recognising something in him.

"Actually I'm sure you will make a great assistant," she concluded. Pepper couldn't quite place her finger on it, but of this she was sure. Tony could use someone that had the guts to talk back to him. Somebody who wouldn't be persuaded or misled by petty words and presents. A person with a personality strong enough to withstand Tony's.

The car stopped in front of Stark Tower and the driver bid them goodnight. Loki and Pepper walked toward the reception area. A young, brown-haired boy carrying a set of boxes sped past them in a hurry.

_That smells delicious_. Loki's hunger flared up. He had already eaten, but the smell emanating from the boxes made his mouth water. He stopped walking for a second and followed the boy running towards the receptionist.

"These are pizzas for Mr. Stark."

"Locke? Are you coming?"

Loki snapped out of it. "Yes." He walked over to Pepper, ignoring the rumbling feelings in his stomach. His body seemed to crave this "pizza," and when the chance next presented itself to him he would have it.

The elevator doors slid open and they entered. As the doors closed, Pepper spoke. "Jarvis?"

_Who is Jarvis?_

"Yes, Miss Potts?"

Loki was startled by the voice. "Who is that? Speak up!" He looked around but couldn't see anyone else.

Pepper made a soft but audible laugh. "Locke, what you heard is Jarvis. He's an A.I. created by Tony. Jarvis, this is Locke Ladislav."

"It's nice to meet you again, sir. I'm glad to see that you are doing well."

Pepper saw the confused look on Locke's face. "Jarvis is installed everywhere that Tony can put him in including vehicles. Jarvis essentially is what saved yours and Tony's lives the day of the crash."

Loki still looked around suspiciously, not trusting the bodiless voice completely. "You have my gratitude…Jarvis."

Pepper spoke again. "Jarvis, please put Locke on speech recognition and give him a level two clearance for the penthouse."

"Done," Jarvis complied. "Miss Potts, do you require anything else?"

"Not right now, Jarvis. Thank you."

Loki paused a moment before asking. "What did you, or rather it, just give me?"

"Level two clearance for the penthouse. It's most of the same rights that I have for accessing various rooms in the building. Level two means you can enter Tony's personal living quarters freely, but the lab and a handful of rooms above it are off limits. The voice recognition is for Jarvis. If there is anything you need, you can ask him for assistance." The elevator stopped. "Alright, we're here. Just wait in the hallway until I break the news to Tony."

She left him standing there.

Loki grinned. _And miss out on the fun? No way_.

"Pepper, why did Jarvis not tell me about my other guest?" Tony did not sound pleased.

"He's here on my invitation," Pepper replied.

"_He?" _The surprise in Tony's voice was obvious.

"Your new personal assistant of course. I found somebody with all the right qualifications."

Loki nearly shook with laughter, but he forced himself to keep a straight face at the sight of Ironman Tony Stark choking on his food as he stepped into view.

"Good evening, Stark."

Tony raised his hand and stood up, giving Pepper the halt signal. "Just," he coughed as he tried to get his food down, "give me a second to digest this."

The man cleared his throat and managed to empty the remaining contents of his glass before Pepper could stop him. Instead she threw him a withering glare. "Better," he smiled weakly and put the glass back down on the small, black table next to the sofa.

Tony paused for a moment, taking in Loki's presence, and then turned back to Pepper.

"No offense, Locke." He made an apologetic gesture towards the man. "But Pepper, are you out of your mind? He's not exactly what I would call 'qualified' for the job. Christ, this is not what I meant when I agreed to make some jobs available for these types of people. Does he even have references?"

_So this is essentially Stark's idea. Strange._

"No, Tony," Pepper argued back. "He is exactly what I would call 'qualified.' And perhaps if you ever bothered to look past appearances you might see that as well."

"Oh come on! Can the guy even do…what it is that assistants do? Make shitty coffee and stuff like that?"

"You're stuck with him, Tony. There is no getting out of this. I have done what I needed to do and that is hiring a capable person—"

"Now I definitely need another drink. Oh wait a second, if he's my assistant then isn't that part of his job? Maybe I should put him to work already." Tony picked up his cup and waved it around crudely. "Fetch me a drink, will you?"

Tony's whole spiel came out harsher then he'd intended. _Crap_.

Pepper rolled her eyes in a way he recognised as the "Really, Tony?!" look.

_Whatever, he'll be gone soon enough._ Tony slumped back into the couch.

"You really need to be more tactful when addressing people," Pepper reprimanded.

"I was being tactful as always."

"You were being an ass."

"Then my ass should not be this fine."

Pepper practically glared. "Stop it, Tony. Mr. Ladislav is staying here. _Period_."

Tony cocked an eyebrow. "He is staying _where_ now? _Here_? That is a bad joke, Pep." She gave him the look again. "So it's not a joke. _Damn._"

Tony noticed Locke returning with his glass and putting it down. He eagerly took it and brought it to his lips for a large gulp of whatever alcohol was in it.

-/-

Loki had walked off pissed. _The guts that man has to address me like that._

The condescending tone made it pretty clear how Stark felt about "his" kind of people. It was the same kind of tone he himself had used to describe humans and other lower creatures.

_I will get him for this_.

He had located the kitchen with ease and soon started rummaging through the cupboards near a large espresso machine. His eyes turned to amused slits at finding something that would suit his current goal. _Perfect_.

His idea was childish but Loki was sure this would cause the man displeasure. If he recalled correctly, Stark drank nothing but coffee or alcoholic beverages. Both of which were unhealthy, especially in large quantities. _Well, Stark, it seems a change of diet is in order_.

He prepared the drink which had the same kind of honey colour as some of Stark's alcoholic beverages. He took it to the living room where Stark was no doubt trying in vain to persuade Pepper from having him as house guest. _The fool_. He smirked to himself.

He heard their voices more clearly now and Pepper's held victory. He set the drink down slowly, making sure that Tony would notice its arrival. The man took it rapidly, bringing it to his mouth and taking a large gulp of the honey-coloured liquid.

Tony started coughing immediately. "What is this shit?"

Feigning ignorance, Loki answered, "Herbal tea I found in one of the cupboards."

"Ok, first lesson if you're going stay, I do _not_ drink herbal tea. Or any other kind of tea. Or just anything healthy."

Pepper couldn't help the laugh that escaped from her. She'd completely forgotten about the herbal tea which she'd bought a while ago on a whim. It was a bitter tasting solution of spices and herbs meant to cure hangovers and it could be steeped in either hot or cold water. It was obvious that Locke had chosen to steep it in cold water to give it the impression of being a type of whiskey.

_He really must have searched for this_, she thought to herself. Because even if she tried, she could not recall where in the kitchen she had put the concoction. Tony glared at her with the look of a betrayed child.

"So this is your doing!" Tony quickly grabbed a slice of pizza to get rid of the awful taste the drink left in his mouth. "You guys might as well sit down and eat some pizza. After all, according to some 'mi casa es su casa.'"

_God that was a dirty trick, _Tony thought to himself, though secretly he felt a sliver of respect. It took some guts to try and serve him herbal tea. Even Pepper wouldn't have tried it, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to try to get back at the guy.

Tony started searching through the pizza boxes. When he'd called in the order, he told them to send him a random assortment. That meant there was bound to be one pizza covered with anchovies somewhere in the pile. "Here," he said finally, holding up a slice for his new assistant Locke.

Loki eyed Stark with suspicion but took the offered slice. His body still seemed to crave this pizza and he felt he could not deny his hunger for this greasy looking food. He took a bite and started chewing. _Why is Stark still staring at me?_ The man kept looking at him expectantly as if waiting for something to happen. Loki felt uncomfortable with this and wanted him to stop, so he stared straight back while finishing the last bite.

"You are staring at me. Is that not considered impolite?"

"You ate the pizza," replied Tony.

"Of course I ate it. You offered it, did you not?"

Humans always seemed to repeat the most obvious things. Loki helped himself to another slice. He actually quite liked the salty taste.

_Well, guess there are people who like anchovies. That ruined my fun_. Tony let out a frustrated sigh and looked away feeling irritated.

"Ok, now that both of you are more or less settled and paying attention I can finally run you both through the new living conditions. Locke, you have the first guest room. It should be large enough to suit your accommodation here. It comes with a small dressing room that is currently empty except for some basic clean clothing. I took the liberty of arranging those for you. It also has a private bathroom and toilet. However, you'll share the regular living quarters and the kitchen with Tony. And Tony, I want you to give Locke a tour later this evening or tomorrow morning."

Tony waved her comment off. "Yeah, yeah, a tour. How lovely."

Loki kept silent as he listened. At least he had his own living quarters again. It had been a while since he'd had any real privacy. The hospital provided some rest but people were continuously walking in and out his room. Not to mention this Pepper woman had kept aware of his activities.

"Locke, you'll also be given a phone and a laptop. My number, Jarvis, and Tony's number along with some others will already be programmed into it. Have you ever owned a laptop before?"

"No, I haven't." He hadn't had a phone before either, but he knew how they worked. They seemed surprisingly handy.

"Tony, you'll have to show Locke how to use the laptop and some of the basic programs like Word or Excel. He can learn everything else on his own."

_Fantastic. I'm the world's greatest genius and I have to teach a bum how to use a PC._

"Great idea, Pep" he replied sarcastically. "Do you also want me to explain how the coffee machine works?"

Loki sounded annoyed. "I feel insulted by the idea. I know perfectly well how they work. But I suspect that you have never even made a cup of coffee before without the aid of others. And yes, robots do count as others."

"I'll have you know that I make my own coffee and it is marvellous."

"I greatly look forward to having some of your coffee tomorrow morning then. I normally wake up around eight," Loki smirked. He'd never had coffee before but he relished the idea of Stark getting up early to serve coffee to his "assistant."

Tony narrowed his eyes. This guy was getting on his nerves. Despite the fact that he hated waking up before ten—no wait, make that noon—he said, "Then be ready for some magnificent coffee."

"Ok, enough bickering you two," Pepper butt in. "Locke, you _will_ learn how to use the laptop this week. The master agenda is on both the laptop and the phone. You need to make sure that Tony keeps to his appointments and schedule."

Loki nodded to Pepper. Learning something new should not prove difficult, especially when it had always come so easily to him.

"Tony, before you try to object, I've given Locke a credit card to use for any needed purchases be it groceries or necessities for your work. This also includes new clothing. I've already scheduled in a morning five days from now for this. Locke knows what is expected, and I do not intend on seeing him go back to any of his old ways of dressing."

"I promise you will not see me anytime soon in my old clothes." Those rags were something he would never choose to wear voluntary. They had been a mere necessity. Although he would not mind getting his old armour back, he realized he would gain no favours by wearing it. Unfortunately he would have to adjust to Midgardian clothing.

"Alright , I'll be going now. Locke, try to keep up with the schedule. I'll check in periodically. And if something really goes wrong Jarvis will let me know."

_Traitor_, Tony thought.

"Tony? Please just try this time, alright?"

And with that Pepper left, leaving Tony and Locke alone. She knew the two of them would probably end up arguing or fighting during the next few days. With strong personalities like that no aversions were possible. Locke especially surprised her with his little herbal tea stunt. She hadn't anticipated such a silly, unexpected prank from the man. He had even tricked Tony into getting up on time, a feat many had failed at before. Most previous assistants tried to sweet talk him into getting up early, a thing that never worked on Tony.

Loki suddenly noticed that he'd managed to eat the entire pizza alone. The first bite had been a little strange, but he'd quickly gotten used to the salty taste and grew fond of it. He ate the second piece out of hunger but the rest was purely for pleasure, something he'd never indulged in before as a god.

Tony decided to break the uncomfortable silence that hung in the air after Pepper's departure. "You ate the whole thing. Were you starving or something?"

_React normally. _Loki closed the empty cardboard box. "I was hungry at first but not starving. The hospital provided sufficient enough food."

"Good god, you react like a stiff. Please do yourself a favour and get that stick out your ass." Tony stood up from the sofa and stretched. "Let's forget about the tour. I'm sure you're smart enough to show yourself around."

_And he dares to assume that I'm the bum? This is…what do they call it here…calling the kettle black._

"Actually I would rather have you show me around as Miss Potts suggested. I think that would be the fastest and easiest way to familiarize myself with this new environment," Loki said, and then unexpectedly, "And what is that thing playing in the background? I do not understand why the other lions cannot accept the rule of a strong leader."

Tony had completely forgotten about Jarvis playing the _Lion King_ in the background, and Locke had apparently been following it throughout their entire conversation.

"He's the bad guy," Tony explained. "Bad guys never win, especially in Disney."

"Disney?" Loki queried. "And why not? I always understood that in the animal realm the darker-haired male lions had a greater chance of mating."

"They are just lions! It doesn't even matter," Tony said with frustration. "You really have been hiding under a rock somewhere, haven't you?"

"It was a box," Loki answered as if Tony was the most dim-witted person alive. "Stop suggesting absurd things. One cannot live under a rock, a cave perhaps."

"Gaaaah, stop it!" Tony was getting seriously irritated. "Alright, I'll give you the tour but after that I'm off and you _will_ leave me alone for the rest of the night."

Loki grinned. "Deal."

Tony felt a shiver go up his spine. The man looked normal enough but he felt like Pepper had just made a deal with the devil.

"Guess you've seen the living room. If you want to watch TV or a movie, just ask Jarvis and he'll play it. Just don't let him decide for you or you'll get some kind of cartoon or chick flick."

"Sir, you asked for a good movie. You never declared a specific genre."

"You know well enough that I do _not_ watch Disney, Jarvis! Or sobby tearjerkers."

Loki saw no point in asking what Disney or chick flicks were. Some human things eluded him completely. But he did understand that the A.I. had used Stark's words against him and deliberately chosen something the man did not fancy. He could appreciate this.

They kept on walking to the kitchen he'd been in earlier.

"You've already been in here," Tony said. "Aside from the fridge and coffee machine I don't use any of this. Read the manuals if you want to find out how shit works. They are around…" He pointed in the general direction of the kitchen." …here somewhere. Ok, now onto the next."

Tony wanted to get this tour over with as fast as he could. He felt uncomfortable being around the other man. He couldn't put his finger on it but something just seemed off. Maybe it was the combination of Tony's guilt for nearly killing him and Locke's over-intelligence for a hobo that managed to impress Pepper, which in itself was quite the feat. Pepper was not easily impressed by others. But all things considered, that still did not get rid of the unnerving feeling Tony had from being around him.

Loki could tell that Stark wanted to get this tour over with as fast as possible. The man felt noticeably uncomfortable in his presence. _And he should be_. Although something was off, Stark's behaviour was different than the previous time they had crossed paths. Something had shifted in the man, gnawing on his natural confidence. But then again, the circumstances they had met under before could not have been any more different. Back then Loki was clad in leather and armour and Stark was a foolish knight on the frontline, trying to defy him with words instead of the usual array of weapons. Stark played his role well and Loki had enjoyed the attacking pace of their verbal war right up until he sent Stark flying through the windows.

The man in front of him was definitely different from the man he'd met before. It was only a slight difference, not nearly enough to be noticed by most. Loki refused to believe that his accident was to blame. It had to be something else.

He suspected Pepper knew. She was rather observant for a human. Perhaps it was one of the reasons she had decided to put some distance between them?

Tony continued. "And my work area is this way. You can go upstairs, but you'll find yourself in front of closed doors."

_We will see about that_, Loki thought as he inspected the stairs leading upwards.

"Down the hall are the guest rooms. I'm guessing the first one on the right is yours. So here ends this grand tour."

Loki knew Stark had skipped over several things. On the floor below them was a gym, a room that held some sort of communal bathing area, and a laundry room that he highly doubted Stark even knew existed. He decided he would just acquaint himself with the other rooms later. Right now he was tired of spending time with the other man and looked forward to any time away from him.

"It goes without saying that my bedroom is also off limits. That's only reserved for gorgeous women," Tony declared. "Oh, but if you do find one wandering around in the morning, get rid of her. I hate it when one night stands try to linger."

Loki hoped that Stark had women waiting to either kill him or crush his balls for that attitude just like Fandral who displayed similar behaviour. How these men managed to avoid past partners was a mystery to Loki. So was the reason for bedding so many different women in the first place.

"I would much rather that you take your nightly conquests elsewhere. I hate dealing with talkative women in the morning," Loki remarked.

Tony laughed. "Guess we actually do have something in common. Pep was right. 'Highness' suits you very well."

Stark knew his nickname! Bob must have used it in either Stark's or Pepper's presence. He didn't expect anyone outside of Bob to use it.

"I would prefer it if you did not call me that."

"Can I call you princess then?" Tony asked with a small grin on his smug face.

"Absolutely not."

"Then Highness it is," Tony said, that stupid smile still on his face. "I'm off. See you tomorrow, _Highness_."

_Good riddance._ Loki was glad when Stark finally left for his own quarters. He hadn't shown it but after consuming that entire pizza he was hit with fatigue. Now he could finally go retire to his own room. He may have been declared healthy and released from the hospital, but his body was still recovering from the fever that had burned him out. It left him completely devoid of energy and the accident was just the drop that made it overflow. He could not control the yawn that escaped him.

_How human of me_. Bringing his hand to his mouth, he paid no more heed to this thought.

The room was large for human standards. A king-sized bed covered with chocolate brown sheets stood dead in the centre. Its headboard rested against a wall that divided the room which had on open doorway on each side. The one in front of him and to the left side of the bed led to a dressing room.

The room was exactly as Pepper had said, fairly empty except for some basic clothing to get him through the next several days. He discovered a pair of blue jeans, two simple shirts, and suitable undergarments in one of the drawers.

Behind the other door was his personal bathroom which had large, black tiles on the floor and walls carved of natural stone. A semi-transparent glass wall divided the bathroom, hiding the large walk-in shower. Towels hung neatly on a rack alongside the wall. There was even a toothbrush for him to use at the washbasin. He'd always loved long showers, the feeling of hot water running all over your body and washing away the filth. But the bed kept calling out to him and his urge to rest was greater than his desire to bathe. He undressed quickly, leaving his clothes on a chair placed by the far wall.

He pulled the covers back from his bed and slipped beneath them. The warmth enveloped him and the soft support the mattress provided made him drift off into his first truly peaceful sleep on Midgard.

A different tune was sung for Tony who had been plagued with dreams ever since the Avengers had successfully defended the earth from invasion. For a good month his sleep had been cut shorter than normal and he'd never slept well to begin with. The image that plagued his dreams sometimes crept up on him even when he was awake. In his sleep he struggled and battled with the sheets only to suddenly wake from his dream.

_Fuck_. Tony thought as he bolted to the bathroom for an icy cold shower.

* * *

I want to thank every reader, follower and favoriter from the bottom of my heart. Never in a bazillion years had i hoped for this much response.

Reviewers i wish i was telepathic so i could mentally thank you from across the sea here, really you guys make my day.

Of course big thanks as always to my beta reader Sinister Banana.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel or the Avengers, or Tony Stark or Loki Laufeyson.

Bugger :c

* * *

**Chapter 10**

The freezing cold water hit his back hard. The droplets stung his back as the chill hit him. Tony's face still felt red and flushed, not just from excitement but mostly from embarrassment. He let the water flow all over his body, willing his blood flow to stop gathering in a particular lower region. It was not something he wanted or needed right now.

Only one thought crossed his mind lately and it was always followed by the same questions. _Why me? Why now?_ Answers never came.

Not the Tony had tried to look for any answers. He was a fervent believer of just pushing everything away. He wasn't in denial either, for denial meant that eventually you had to accept what you were trying to ignore. No, he was downright refusing everything about his current situation with one single thought.

_I am not gay_.

His refusal came in many forms. After the first dream, he drank himself into a stupor at home and Pepper had found him passed out on the living room floor. After sobering him up, she tried to help him by asking what was wrong. He just could not get a word out of his lips. After diving into alcohol he took his resolve to sleeping with women. It was not difficult to find a willing bed partner if your name was Tony Stark. He'd quickly found one, taking her home with him during the day and ending up in bed with his conquest. He finished but it left him feeling entirely unsatisfied. That was the day Pepper walked in on him, marking the end of their already crumbling relationship. He still regretted hurting her but he knew it would have ended anyway.

Many other drinks, women, and stupid ideas followed. He had ended up with a cold, gotten drunk again, and caused what could have been a fatal accident. And it was all the fault of the person that haunted his dreams.

_Loki._

He had always loves thing that held beauty, and often he found it anywhere and in different things. The most obvious always had been women, and objects that portrayed a certain quality. Like fast streamlined cars and clothing. It could also be found in less obvious things like his own creations, the weapons he had created in the past, and now his arc reactor. Even the powerful feeling he got from his suit belonged in this category.

During the battle against the Chitauri, he had shed his almost broken suit at the Tower and faced the fallen god without protection in order to draw the trickster into conversation to stall and win time for his comrades. He had found many things in that single being that he valued—beauty, speed, power. Mesmerizing green eyes full of hidden emotions; beauty that was tall, lean, muscled, and vicious. Now Loki kept invading his mind, killing him softly on the inside.

Tony turned off the shower and dried himself with a red towel that had his name on it in golden embroidery. He looked guiltily at his mirror image. Goddammit! He did not need this right now. He did not need this _ever_! As if he didn't have enough to deal with already, Pepper had gone ahead and gotten him Mr. Stick-Up-His-Ass as an assistant. Never mind that he almost accidently killed the guy. He was still happy that Jarvis had taken over control of the vehicle at the last second. It was just…everything was too much to deal with all at once.

He took an Iron Maiden t-shirt and pulled it over his head, searching his room for a pair of pants. It was early, six o'clock to be exact. An ungodly hour especially if your last name was Stark. But he wasn't going to get anymore sleep so he decided to make his way to the kitchen_. I'll show that ass I can make coffee._

He had not forgotten the deal, and believe it or not, Tony Stark truly was capable of making his own coffee. In fact he often did so, not that Javis or anybody else could not make it. Tony was just very picky and nobody seemed to get it right except for him. His previous assistants had all tried to serve him coffee, but it always tasted like total crap. His coffee, on the other hand, was a perfect deep black that was best drunk without milk or sugar.

He made a full pot of it and poured some in a cup for himself leaving the rest on the heater for later. He took his full cup and headed off to the labs.

* * *

Contrary to popular belief, Loki was not a morning person. He liked getting up early purely because it meant that the hours in a day could be spent better awake and active rather than sleeping. It definitely was not because he enjoyed waking up in the early hours like others thought.

Loki forced his body to crawl out of the warm bed, shivering as the chill air came into contact with his exposed skin. He watched goose bumps rise on his arms. He had gotten used to this phenomenon after a while. Although he understood the complexity of the human body, experiencing it first-hand could be…frightening sometimes. It seemed he discovered new things on a daily basis. Most of them he could do without. Others were not so bad.

After freshening up in the bathroom, he dressed himself in the same clothing as the day before and headed out to the kitchen. The hallway was silent and empty, and he found it hard to imagine he still was in the city. The past few days were filled with noises hammering his head, honking cars, shouting people, and other indefinable background noises. He welcomed this rare silence with open arms.

No Stark could be seen in the proximity of the kitchen, yet an almost full pot of coffee stood waiting for him at the counter. Loki decided to question the voice called Jarvis, who he'd concluded was a bit like Heimdall. Both always stood watching his every movement, though Jarvis was mostly contained to the house.

"Jarvis?"

"Yes, sir."

"Did Stark brew this beverage himself?"

"Yes, sir."

_Well that is certainly unexpected_. By now Loki knew the location of most things in the kitchen. His search the previous evening made sure of that. He took a plain white cup and filled it with coffee, wondering what the excitement that humans held for their "morning" coffee was about. He inspected the drink. It had hot steam curling from its surface. The cup warmed his hands. Its smell was alright and tempting enough to goad a person into drinking it. So that was what Loki did. He took a large gulp of hot coffee in the hopes that it would quench his thirst.

Loki felt his eye twitch, another human reaction of his body, and he was trying his best to stop the other from commencing. _Do not spit out your drink. Surely I must have had worse in one of my many years. _He reluctantly swallowed his mouth full of coffee and emptied the cup in the sink immediately.

Then he did something he never would have done had he been in his right mind just to get rid of the horrid taste. He turned on the faucet and, with his left arm as support, bent over to drink the water pouring straight from it_. By the nine, what is that fabricated from? To think people drink this on a daily basis!_ Loki decided that humans were more inclined on destroying themselves than he had originally thought.

At least he felt awake now.

* * *

_Wait. "_Jarvis, what time is it?"

"It is 7:56, sir."

Tony stretched lazy in his chair and stood up_. Let's see if this guy can hold up to my coffee. I need a refill anyway_. He minimized the screens and left the rest of his work as it was. He would return soon enough. Taking his empty cup, he walked to the stairs leading down.

"Oh, and Jarvis, order some breakfast doughnuts, would you?"

He could hear the sound of a cupboard closing and coffee being poured into a cup. Tony entered the kitchen and leaned against the entrance wall. _Just in time_. He raised his eyebrow_. I wonder if he can hold it. _He held back a laugh as he saw that Locke was trying to hold in the coffee with visible effort and then proceeded to empty out the rest in the sink while turning on the faucet.

"So…my coffee isn't good enough for you," Stark said grinning.

Loki ignored the man until he turned off the faucet and had cleaned his face up with a napkin, somehow managing to look composed while doing so. "It was not pleasing. In fact I think it might be one of the most horrible things this planet has to offer…. I swear if you try to kill me again, be it by car, food, or an offering of drinks, I will kill you." Loki narrowed his eyes and pointed a long slender finger at the other man. "And leave your head dangling on a pole on top of Stark Tower to shrivel in the sun for all to see."

During the small yet menacing tirade his assistant made, Tony managed to get past him and take the hot pot of coffee.

"Are you even listening to me?"

"I'm sorry, honey, you were saying?" Tony poured the hot coffee in his cup and carefully took a sip. "Mmmmm."

"I swear, Stark. If you—"

Tony rolled his eyes. "Yes, revenge and pain. Yada yada yada. Jarvis, have you ordered those breakfast doughnuts yet?"

"Yes, sir. And might I add that it seems as though your ten o' clock appointment is already waiting downstairs."

Tony had already finished his second cup and was now pouring his third that morning. "What kind of idiot arrives two hours early?"

"Steve Rogers, sir"

"Steve?" Tony took the coffee mug away from his lips. Why was the Captain here? He hadn't seen the guy in weeks.

Loki took the opportunity to take the coffee-filled cup away from Stark's grasp, emptying the contents into the sink. Stark looked dumbfounded at him. "The received scheduled states that at 10:00 a.m. you are to instruct Steve Rogers in the use of his laptop and cell phone. I advise you to combine this and hand the knowledge over to me as well."

_Great. I have to teach two idiots where they can find the 'On' button. As if one wasn't enough._

"Ok, first of all, you do not take away my coffee, _Highness_." Tony hastily grabbed the coffee pot. If he was lucky it would still have one more cup in it. "Second, you do not waste any of my godly coffee. It is a crime against humanity to do so. And third, Iron Man loves his coffee, so don't piss him off."

"Sir, your doughnuts are in."

"Send 'em up, Jarvis."

Loki cut in. "Jarvis, tell Captain Rogers to bring them upstairs. We might as well get an early start."

"Yes, sir."

"You've got to be kidding me. You're going to spoil my morning like that."

"No, I will be using your time more efficiently instead of you just wasting it on eating and drinking."

"Hey! I do other stuff too. Just need the fuel, you know. Why am I even explaining myself to you? You stuck up ass." Tony took his cup of coffee and left for the living room. He sat back on the couch in the same spot as yesterday.

"And Captain America is not a delivery boy."

A resounding 'ping' made it clear that the elevator had stopped at the penthouse floor. A very happy and awake Steve Rodgers could be heard approaching. "Tony, I brought up your doughnuts," he said with great enthusiasm and earnestness.

Loki raised an eyebrow and shot Stark a glare.

Tony recognised it as the "Oh really, I beg to differ" look. He wondered if Pepper had instructed Locke in all her secret glares.

"Cap, this here is Locke. He's my new assistant and a pain in the ass. Locke, this is Steve Rogers."

Loki put on a normal smile and shook the hand of Steve Rogers firmly, just like any regular person might have done. "It is a pleasure to meet you, sir."

"Likewise, Locke. Do you have a last name?"

"Ladislav."

"Don't listen to him, Cap. And hand over my breakfast." Tony stood up and took the box of doughnuts away from Steve. He grabbed one eagerly and languidly took a bite from it while walking away. "Well, aren't you two lovebirds coming? I don't have all day."

Loki grinned slightly. "Actually, after checking your schedule for the day it appears that you do indeed have all day. I took the liberty of cancelling your lunch with a girl named Nat or Kat. It was conflicting with the appointment you had with Steve."

"What! You cancelled Katrina? But—"

"No need to thank me, Stark. I am just doing my job."

Steve, who was oblivious to the tension, added in a compliment. "Wow, Tony. You finally found a decent assistant. Good for you."

"Yes, good for me." Tony grumbled and walked off to a large dining table. "Just put your laptop here and let's get this over with fast."

For Loki it was fairly obvious how everything worked. He had dealt with technology in the past. Of course, the way he used it before was different. Handling devices right now would require more of his attention and thought than compared to before when he could just gather information in easier ways. By the time Rogers finally grasped the idea of what he could do with a laptop besides turning it on and off, let alone what vast kinds of information was available on it, Loki was already organising the schedule he had gotten from Pepper and was making slight adjustments where he deemed fit.

He looked across the table to where Stark was trying to explain in a very frustrated voice how Rogers could log in to see his emails. It seemed that as hard as it was for the man out of time to learn, it was equally difficult for Stark to teach him how anything worked without getting frustrated by the slow pace. Slowly it was building up. Loki could see it. Any moment now Stark would snap at one of the country's most beloved heroes. This would most likely lower his worth in the eyes of his fellow Avengers.

But he did not. Every time Rogers got stuck on a little yet easily solvable issue, and frankly said that was quite often, Stark would help him no matter what, biting back the sarcastic comments and remarks about Captain America's difficulty with modern technology. He even managed to make Steve order them lunch online. He didn't, however, mention the fact that there was a small elevator to bring the food upstairs once it arrived. Instead Steve Rogers went down to the ground floor to retrieve their lunch once it had been delivered.

"Well, how about that? He is a delivery boy," Tony said while stretching his cramped arms. He noticed that Locke was abnormally silent during everything he had explained. The man could not have been paying attention yet he seemed oddly busy.

"Stark, stop staring at me."

"Is it bothering you, Highness? Good." Tony moved to stand behind Locke, wondering what the man had been up to this entire time. To his surprise he actually seemed to be…working? "Scheduling's very exciting."

"Do not mock me, Stark. I am perfectly aware of my ability to mess up your schedule."

"Good god, my schedule! Oh no! I can't imagine ever going on without it."

"Tony, stop pestering your employees." Steve came barging out of the elevator carrying their lunch in a white plastic bag.

"I'm not pestering. Just discussing schedules with his Highness over here. Seems he is overly obsessed with what I do with my time."

"It is when you get drunk and hit people while driving under the influence."

"That's a low blow and you know it, Princess."

"Merely a true fact. My reason for being here is clearly because of your carelessness."

"Why did the hobo cross the road?" _Mental facepalm, Tony. It is always a good idea to insult people about their previous lack of anything._

"Are you implying this is my fault? Again."

"Ok guys…" Steve tried to cut in.

"I'm saying—"

"GUYS!" Steve finally had their attention. "Could you stop acting like ten-year-olds, please?"

Tony sighed, secretly thankful for Steve's interference. It seemed like Locke made him on edge without any effort. Anything they said to each other would result in childish fighting. "Yes, grandpa."

Loki considered not answering, but found it not to be an option. "Very well."

Steve put down the bag and gave everyone their food. He may be Captain America but he was still _nice guy_ Steve Rogers on the inside. Being bigger didn't change that. He knew Tony was flammable but he had not expected to see two grown men bickering like children. If this continued it might have become a full blown out food fight. What was his friend thinking? Locke had not done anything worth getting this riled up for. Not that Steve ever knew what went on in Tony's head. Half of the time he was a riddle, much like the technology he used. The atmosphere at the table was ruthlessly silent. Locke was the one to break it.

"I suppose that there is no point in me remaining here. I will continue my work in my room." He closed his laptop and took it in his arms, covering the lid over the remainder of his food to carry along with him. "Rogers, I just want you to know that Stark's schedule for the next four days is clear during his mornings. Feel free to make use of this if you have any remaining questions concerning your learning of new technologies."

_That bastard_. Not that Tony did not like spending time with friends. Ok, that's a lie. He didn't like to spend time with anyone. He mostly preferred spending time on his own. It was just that he needed social interactions every now and then. That and he disliked being told what to do. The only one who ever got away with that was Pepper and he had reasons for that.

"Thank you, Locke. I will keep that in mind." Steve watched the man leave and then turned to face Tony. "This is too much, even for you. Why are you acting like this?"

Tony snapped out of his thoughts. How could he explain to Steve that he was acting purely on a feeling he had when the other man always tried to see the good in everyone? "Let's say…he brings out the worst in me?"

"That isn't true. You acted a similar way when we met."

"Well, you brought out the worst in me too, goody two shoes."

Steve ignored Tony's comments. By now he knew the man well enough to know his words were not meant to hurt. "Something is wrong, Tony. I'm a soldier. I notice when the posture of one of my men changes, and yours was on the defence," he said pointing in Tony's direction to emphasise his words.

"He tried to attack me at the hospital and before that I nearly killed him. I'd say I'm allowed to be on edge, Steve. So cut me some slack."

"Just try it, Tony, whatever it is that you are not trying or holding back right now."

_I'm not holding back anything._

"I mean even you have to admit he seems to be a pretty darn good assistant. Compared to any previous ones."

Tony sighed and sat back down on his chair. "Ok, you are partially right about the assistant thing. But that doesn't mean I have to like him. He's still a stuck up ass."

"Never said that. Just have mutual respect for each other. Seriously, for a second I thought you two were going to throw food at each other."

"Really, Steve? I'd at least throw something a little harder than a sandwich."

"To use your own words, 'cut the man some slack.' Aside from what happened with the accident, who knows what he's had to deal with before. It's not easy living on the downside of society."

_Damn you, Steve, for using my own words against me. _"If I promise that I will try to not act like an ass—which in my defence, I am not—will you get off my back?"

"Only if—"

"Don't ask me to do something you know I'm not doing."

"Let's just get back to work. I'll try to talk more sense into you later." However, Steve knew that if Tony had said he'd give it a try, then that was probably as good of a response as he would get.

* * *

Loki had enough of his charade for the day so he retreated to his chambers, if you could call his bedroom that. There was no real success made today besides learning a new way around Midgardian machinery. He had to admit that it was an easy way to keep track of everything and the internet might prove interesting yet. Maybe it could be useful in further endeavours, provided it lived up to its name.

He still hated the feelings that Stark brought out in him. He had let the man get a rise out of him, almost resorting to childlike pranks. Steve Rogers was still an obnoxiously good and polite man, yet he could tolerate him much more than Stark who only angered him. Loki had no urgency to meet any of the other Avengers any time soon, and he fervently hoped Thor would stay away. So far nobody has been able to recognise him but Thor certainly would. Spending hundreds of years in each other's company had its results. And Thor was unfortunately not the stupid oaf he had been once before. Not that he had any noteworthy signs of intelligence. He was just simply less of an idiot.

His leg had an itch from his walking cast. Just a few more days and he'd be able to get a check-up at the hospital to see if he could finally be rid of the crude obstruction that inhibited his movements. But right now he was stuck with it. He could not even bathe decently with the damned thing. After entering his room and seeing the large bed, he noticed how tired he was yet again. It would not hurt to lie down for just a moment, would it?

After what felt like only an hour, Loki awoke in complete darkness. It covered him like a blanket without stars and the numbers on an alarm clock alerted him to a late hour.

12:24 A.M.

To think that sleep had drifted him so far that not even hunger had awoken him. He now felt he had to eat something and his mouth felt dry as well. It was best to leave his room and seek out water and nourishment.

He made a mental note to find decent food as there was a great lack of fresh fruits, vegetables, and decent fish or meat in Stark Tower. The only edible thing in the fridge was a half-eaten sandwich that belonged to Stark. He decided to take it along with a small bottle of water. The man would not miss it anyway.

It was too warm and damp inside the penthouse. The heat clung to him, making him feel dull. Perhaps it was best to go outside on the large balcony that overlooked the city. Being this high up meant that you could actually see the sky now. He missed seeing the black open vastness alight with tiny specks of stars. He stepped through the open glass doors, not bothering to wonder why they were open in the first place, and welcomed the slightly cooler air. He still found it too warm for his own liking, but at least the feel of the breeze rushing past his skin was pleasant. He closed his eyes for a moment to relish the comforting feel. As he opened them again he noted that not far from him Stark was sitting on the ground holding a glass in his hand.

"You stole my sandwich," he said.

"You were not going to eat it anyway. The food would have been wasted," Loki replied haughtily.

"You're right. Have it. It would have ended up in the trash tomorrow anyway."

_Did Stark just give in?_ That was a first.

"Are you just going to stand there and stare, Highness? Sit your ass down on the floor," Tony said as he patted the concrete floor of the balcony and Loki obliged.

For now he did not see any harm in sitting down, and oddly enough Stark agreed with him. Stark still seemed uncomfortable, but it seemed as if he was holding something back. Loki looked at Stark's face and took in his expression, trying to read the frown forming on his face.

"You look odd," Tony said.

Stark's expression had not changed, though his frown had shifted and his eyes stared back at Loki questioningly_._

_I look odd? _Loki thought to himself. _Now that was an understatement since I do not look like my former self at all._

Tony looked at his assistant. Something was not right. He did not receive any snarky reply back. He'd at least expected some retaliation from Locke, but the man seemed lost in thought. He took notice of Locke's reddish forehead and the sweat drops forming on it. It suddenly dawned on him that this guy had indeed just been released from the hospital. He may have gotten a fever due to lack of attention to his health. Before Tony knew what he was doing, he placed a hand on Locke's forehead.

Loki, alarmed by the sudden touch, slapped Stark's hand away and jumped to his feet. "Don't touch me!"

Tony was getting ticked off again but, taking Steve's advice, he did not reply with a witty comment. "You're burning up with a fever. You need medical attention." He could see that Locke wasn't listening to him. Instead the man was busy throwing a menacing glaring in his direction. "Locke?"

"Stay away from me, Stark."

"There are meds in the kitchen somewhere. Pep might've put some in your bathroom too." Loki did listen to him the second time and a sign of realisation crossed his face when he stood up.

"I will take my leave now."

Tony watched Locke leave the balcony, carrying himself rather gracefully for a man from the street who was carrying a high fever. A shiver spread across his spine as Tony was suddenly reminded of the man that haunted his dreams.

* * *

On the other side of the penthouse, Loki found suitable medication for his condition. He lay back down on his bed, trying to gain some rest and peace of mind. He was angry again, this time not only with Stark but at himself too. Before he pulled away from the man's touch, he had another reaction.

He'd savoured the touch of Stark's cool hand.

* * *

Thank you everyone for reading ,following or faving this story,really guys i love you.

Don't forget to leave a review (aka food for the soul).

ways, thank you sinister banana for being my beta


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel or the Avengers or anything remotely awesome.

Except my car, my books, and other stuff inside my home.

* * *

**Chapter 11**

Both Tony and Loki avoided each other over the next several days. The only times they spoke to or saw each other was during breakfast or the occasional times they had to work together. They did end up falling into a routine for breakfast however. Tony would make his idea of coffee early in the morning or late in the night, depending on his sleeping pattern, and would try to get Locke to drink it, or rather to like it. Since the purest black form did not seem to be to his assistant's taste, Tony decided that he would make Locke _need_ coffee. It was his idea of a peace offering towards the man in the morning, even if it meant doing the sacrilegious act of adding sugar or milk to it.

So far Tony had only tried adding sugar, one or two teaspoons, but the coffee still produced the same unwanted effect from Locke, though Tony silently swore the look on Locke's face was of a lesser disgust but he couldn't be sure about it. So he kept trying adamantly to make the man need his morning coffee. Steve would probably be proud of Tony for continuing to try and not give up.

Today Tony was going to try milk, a daring attempt for a coffee purist like him. He figured that adding cold milk to a hot beverage would collide too much in temperature for it to have a good taste, so right now he was waiting for the milk to warm while mulling over how much he needed to pour in the coffee.

Tony heard a shuffling sound from the direction of the hallway and Locke entered into view looking visibly uncomfortable as he walked in his cast. Tony learned from prior days that talking to Locke before he'd had a drink or some food in his system would result in silent dark glares. Locke was not a morning person and Tony figured it was all the more reasons to get him on coffee, especially since he really seemed to be stuck with the guy.

Pepper had made his assistant's work contract and Tony read it thoroughly looking for some sort of loophole. But he could find none. Unless Locke did anything to breach the stipulations of the contract—and annoying as it was to admit, aside from being a stuck up prick, Locke was a pretty decent assistant as well—he was stuck with him. Tony cursed Pepper's efficiency.

The milk was almost done and Tony swore he could feel the boring stare of the other man at his back. He tried not to let it get to him and started pouring the milk into Locke's coffee cup. He placed the cup of cream-coloured coffee in front of his assistant, who gave him a sceptic look in return but nonetheless picked up the mug and held it in his hands. Locke smelled the coffee first before bringing it to his lips to taste. As he took one sip, Tony waited for the response.

The normal reaction of utter disgust didn't surface. Tony lifted an eyebrow. "Well?"

"Well what, Stark? Morning is no excuse to avoid complete sentences."

At least Locke was talking. That was as an improvement. "How's the coffee, Highness?"

Loki still hated Stark's use of the nickname, but he had ceased his attempts to get the man to stop calling him that. It only resulted in worse names to be called like "Princess" or "King of the Hobos." He really had to hold back on the last one too. His fingers had itched with the urge to strangle Stark.

Loki sat there and eyed his hot drink for a moment as if he contemplating his verdict." I must confess it is not as bad as earlier. I fear I'm growing…used to its taste."

Tony shouted a mental 'yes' in his mind and a wide grin appeared on his face to claim the tiny victory. "I knew it! There's no way any person can deny the greatness that is my coffee. For Christ's sake, it's the nectar of the gods, all thanks to me." Tony felt that stare again piercing him from across the table. Locke took another sip of the coffee as he kept his eyes on Tony, a look of burning annoyance crossing his features.

"Stark, you talk too much in the morning."

Tony's mood was not ruined at all by his assistant's snarky comment. He was still basking in his win. "Still cranky I see. Don't worry, the coffee will fix it."

"I do not need to be fixed."

"Oh, come on, Highness. You act like you have permanent PMS. Just drink some coffee and be a normal person."

A grim look crossed Loki's face and the smile on Tony's faded as the atmosphere turned bleak.

"I will never become a normal person, Stark."

"Yeah, yeah. I get it. You're special. But for fuck's sake, live a little. I can't stand dealing with all your shit every day."

Loki hissed. "It is not your shit to deal with. Do not speak of things you have no knowledge of."

"The hell it is! You live here so it definitely is shit I have to deal with, especially when I'm constantly around that attitude of yours. Trust me, if I had my way you'd be long gone by now."

"But you're not getting your way, are you?" Loki stood up and eyed him. "Face it, Stark. For now I am here to stay. And yes, I do have shit to deal with, most of which is caused by you." He pressed his finger into Stark's shoulder, putting extra emphasis in his words. "If it was up to me I would never be in this position. If it was up to me I would be comfortable making my own way. But no, because rambling idiots like you always interfere and royally fuck up my life, I'm left to pick up the pieces and restore order and balance."

Whatever emotions that Locke had kept hidden from everyone now poured out in a heated venomous voice laced deep with hatred. One of his eyebrows was contorted in anger, and his bed hair and beard only added to the menacing look. Most people would have turned their head at the start of his rant. Not many would have dared to stare back into the eyes of a man raving with such anger.

But Tony was not most people and he was used to facing things far worse than an angry assistant. He looked into Locke's eyes the entire time the man spoke and even past when he had finished. Hidden emotions lingered in those eyes, a recognisable sadness not meant for others to see. Perhaps Locke did not even realize it himself.

"Your day, Stark, consists of work. At 2pm you have a meeting with Bruce Banner. The driver will pick you up and I urge you to not be late. Doing so will have consequences." Loki walked away after this, clenching his fists to contain the anger that threatened to overflow.

Tony recognised that perhaps he had just seen something in Locke that others had ignored. Bob was right in punching him. The bruise on his face was now almost faded. Just a slight discoloration pinpointed its location and it didn't even hurt. Locke, however, was still a wounded man in more ways than one. Tony knew he had fucked up again.

Loki closed the door to his room and sank onto his bed. He ran his hands through his hair. Many emotions ran amok through his body, each fighting for dominance and control. Anger, hatred, sadness and even a sense of relief cried out. His mind screamed at him to do something – break things, throw things, cry and scream. Humans experienced everything so differently. _He_ experienced everything so differently, and now it was a challenge of extreme patience and strength of will to not let these newfound sensations get the best of him . But even when he tried for control, his humanity would rear its ugly head and make him feel things as though he were under a magnifying glass. It was happening more frequently and was being triggered by small things or comments that wouldn't have made him bat an eyelash before.

There was also the comforting feel of Stark's hand earlier on his forehead and his body's reaction to it. He'd wanted to lean in to that cold touch.

This was the second time in his life that he truly felt lost, and he held no fond memories of the first. He felt compelled to take a form of action and be rid of this…thing, this unsettling feeling . He punched his nightstand, causing his knuckles to hurt as soon as he hit the wood. He yelled out, "I hate you!" to no one in particular. Just like after his little speech in the kitchen, he felt oddly relieved after letting everything out. It seemed like bottling things inside and trying to keep his emotions at bay only worsened them to the point of explosion.

He wanted to get out of Stark Tower and it seemed that his appointment at the hospital would take care of that, though he had to get dressed soon and leave or he'd be late. He washed his injured hand under the faucet in the bathroom and took another look at "his" face. In the month he had spent here, his hair had grown considerably. He reminded himself that he needed to do something to get rid of the hair on his chin too.

* * *

Locke sat in the back of one of Stark's many vehicles and looked out the window. Outside it looked like a perfect day with it being the right temperature and clear sunny skies overhead. The streets were busy with people walking around being merry. Loki thought it was a sickening idea that a sunny day could give the inhabitants of this city such a communal feeling of joy and so eagerly steered in that specific direction.

They…_we_…are foolish creatures.

He started recognising the surroundings outside the vehicle. The car slowed down, stopping in front of the hospital.

"Sir, we are here."

The driver held the door open for him, something he could get used to in this world. He stepped out of the car and surveyed the area. Things already seemed different from his previous stay. "This should not require much time. I ask you to wait for my return."

"Of course. I'll see you soon, sir."

Being waited on was nice even if the servants did not like you or only did so because of your status instead of from respect. The glass doors to the hospital slid open and Loki moved towards the reception desk where one of the clerks instantly recognised him.

"Oh! You must be Mr. Ladislav. The doctor will see you upstairs in ten minutes. Just take the elevator to the third floor and head towards your old room."

He briefly wondered how she knew who he was. He had no recollection of her from before. "I will heed your advice. Thank you." It would be wasteful to not act kindly in this building, especially when one never knows what the future will hold.

The receptionist gave him a kind and friendly smile as he nodded and went on his way. Perhaps she was one of the nurse's friends who had contributed to his gift basket when he was bedridden. What was that nurse's name again? Samantha? No…_Sandy_.

Upon arriving in his former room, he concluded that everything was exactly as he had left it. Even the file holding his medical records was in the same spot. He vaguely wondered if Miss Potts had anything to do with this when the door opened.

"Ah, I see you're already here, Mr. Ladislav. Just sit down. The nurse will be here soon to assist me." The doctor reached for Loki's medical records as he sat down on the bed. "Ready to get that cast off?"

Loki faked a smile. "As ready as ever." _You fool._

A shrill, excited voice came from the doorway. "Locke! Oh, I'm so glad to see you're doing well."

_Great._

"Sandy, it's good to see you too," Loki lied through his teeth. "Considering my state I would say that I am doing fairly well."

"That's good to hear. Well, let's get you out of this now." She rolled up his trousers to just above his knee and took a pair of heavy, blunt scissors. "Your leg may feel a bit odd once this is off, just to warn you."

The moment the scissors snapped shut and made the first cut in the cast, fresh air hit his skin, releasing it of its bound state. His skin tingled, but not unpleasantly, and when she had finished making a long cut he wiggled his toes. After a few more cuts, the cast came fully off and Loki welcomed the feeling of being free. His joy was severely disturbed, however, by Sandy who had the audacity to caress his leg where the cast had once been.

"Everything looks alright. No bruising or scratch marks." She smiled at him and blushed. "You've healed up nicely, Locke."

By the nine this was not happening! _Let go of my leg you dumb wench._

She didn't and let her fingers linger a bit more, drawing a half circle with her thumb and pretending to inspect something. Loki decided her behaviour must cease immediately. "Think I can stand again?" he asked the doctor suddenly.

The doctor replied, "Of course. The cast was there as an aid and preventive measure. Just don't start running marathons."

Loki rolled down the leg of his trousers before the nurse received the chance to fondle him again.

"Go ahead. Walk around the room and let me know if anything feels off."

He stretched before letting both feet touch the floor. He took a tentative step forward but, aside from his foot turning cold from the tiles, there were no additional effects. He walked around and concluded that he was, in fact, properly healed.

"Well, that's it. You're a free man again, Ladislav. I hope we won't have to see you again anytime soon." The doctor then stood up to exit the room, leaving Loki alone with the nurse. He started to put on his socks and fasten his shoes in the hopes that Sandy would understand the hint. Unfortunately for him, she had her own thoughts about the matter. She shuffled nervously as if wanting to ask something.

"Yes? Do you want to say something?" he queried.

She played with her fingers as she tried to find the correct words. "I was wondering…" she took a deep breath, "if you would like to go on a date with me?"

He did not need to think twice about his answer. thoughts. "Sorry, I do not date _your kind_." _I do not date humans._

"Oh…" Disappointment rang evident and clear in her voice. Then, to his surprise, she giggled. "_Ooooooh_."

_What?_ Loki raised an eyebrow. This was an unexpected reaction.

"Dammit. I'm so sorry for misunderstanding. I made a complete ass of myself, didn't I?"

_You still are._

"I'll be on my way then. Bye, Locke." She waved at him cheerfully and mumbled something about it always being the good ones.

Loki had no clue as to what had just transpired or the meaning behind Sandy's words.

The day passed slower than anticipated and the sun was already starting to set as colours filled the sky. After his visit to the hospital, Loki had taken the time to gather new garments and the business suit Miss Potts said he needed. She had sent his measurements to the clothing store earlier and now he just had to find what he needed and write down the reference numbers of the selected items.

The tailor was chatty. Loki ignored the man and his questions about what it must be like to work for the great "Iron Man." But after enough suffering, the incessant chatter finally came to an end. Now Loki was watching the colours of the sky change from blue to warmer oranges and magenta. The ride back took longer than necessary due to traffic being jammed everywhere causing their route home to become obstructed.

As he sat in the car waiting to get back to Stark Tower, Loki was still thinking about his situation with Sandy at the hospital. He had refused her offer, so her initial reaction of disappointment was expected. However, her reason for joy eluded him, and he set his mind on finding out the answer. He could not ask Stark and he did not want to ask his driver. Potts was likely unavailable, plus she would probably say that he ought to know these things already.

It suddenly hit him as he was looking at the numbers programmed on his phone. _Jarvis._

The A.I. seemed impartial, rational, and willing to answer any question so he dialled the button for Jarvis.

"Sir, is there something you need assistance with?"

"Yes, actually. I find myself in a situation I cannot comprehend."

There was a short silence before Jarvis' reply. "I often find myself in similar circumstances."

Loki started explaining what happened with Sandy at the hospital, starting with her advances and ending with her waving goodbye. He even gave Jarvis a detailed explanation of her reactions.

Jarvis' voice sounded more monotone than normal in his reply as if the A.I. had to bite back a laugh. "She believed you to be gay, sir."

"What!"

"A gay man, sir."

Loki remained silent and because Jarvis could not see his reaction he answered for a third time. "Homosexual, as in attracted to the same gender."

The sound of laughter interrupted the silence and Jarvis was promptly cut off.

* * *

"What did you do this time, Tony?"

That was first thing Pepper asked when she saw him. No "Hey Tony, how are you?" or "Hey, how are you holding up with that assistant I forced on you?" Nice.

"Who says I've done anything noteworthy besides saving some lives and the city? Because yes, that is something worth mentioning. Oh, and I looked gorgeous while doing it." He grinned broadly. "It's all part of my natural charm, Pep."

"You know that's not what I'm referring to."

Tony shrugged. "Then no, there's nothing worth mentioning."

"What about Locke?" A moment of short silence on Tony's side was all Pepper needed to know that something had gone down between them. Whatever it was had caused Tony to hesitate in his normally speedy answers. What was it? Last week had been unusually silent. Neither of them had called to complain to her. Tony probably didn't say anything only because he knew he could not crawl out this predicament.

Tony gave her bright brown puppy eyes. "It hurts my feelings that you don't ask about my well-being first, Pep."

"Oh, cut it out!" Did Tony look slightly guilty or was her imagination running wild? "What happened?"

"Nothing, really. He's an ok assistant, I guess. Ask Steve. I'm glad. He'll tell you that." _Damn bastard assistant had the guts to cancel my date._

Pepper raised an eyebrow in further questioning. "…And?"

He could not tell her the full truth. He could tell her about the anger, the fight, and the words tossed between them. But he could not tell her about the feelings he had upon seeing Locke's torn eyes. "We disagreed. Nothing special."

She sighed, knowing that it was a loss to try and get more out of him. She took a small stack of papers and handed them over. "Apologise," she said and then she released the documents in his hands, hoping that her intentions were clear.

He checked the papers briefly. She never made mistakes but he felt like giving the papers a once over would clear his mind a bit. "Yes, Pep. And afterward we'll have hot, steamy, make-up sex like all the other normal couples."

"Stop trying to cover things up with humour, Tony. I'm too used to that from you."

"I'm dead serious, Pep. See? I'm not laughing in the slightest." He held a stern face while telling her this.

"As am I, Tony. Goodbye."

"Yeah…" He got into the car, trusting that Happy knew where to go.

His comentm would have been funny if there wasn't an inch of truth to some of the words. He still denied most of whatever he felt but slowly it came creeping out, looking around the corner, waiting for a moment of weakness. He remembered Locke's reactions a few days ago when he'd touched his face trying to check for a fever. The man had flinched back angrily and looked confused. At that moment, those clear blue eyes had reminded him of someone else. A person he was adamant on purging from his mind, but the thoughts remained intact as both a blessing and a curse.

Nonetheless, he'd found himself admiring those bright blue eyes in that moment. For the first time a small shiver crept up his spine, but it was not caused by the man before him.

_Loki._

Thoughts of a dream slipped from his grasp and filled his mind with vivid flashes of imaginary moments spent in the hold of that man.

_God…_

"Fuck." He put down the documents besides him and regained his composure. He needed his mind on the right track and off this highway to hell. He needed something to cause enough of a diversion and entertainment for him to sleep without being haunted – _teased_ – by dreams and visions. He should call Nat. Their previous "date" had been cancelled, if you could call getting a laid a date, but he was sure he could convince her to re-schedule for tonight. She'd be the perfect bedtime snack.

"Jarvis."

"I am currently unavailable, sir."

"What? Are you leaving me too? This world is so cruel."

"I am resolving a matter for Mr. Ladislav."

"Locke? What the hell. Why would he need you? I thought that smart ass knew everything."

"No _man_ knows all, sir." Jarvis made an emphasis on man.

"Yeah, and I bet you do? I should have given you a lower IQ."

"It must be annoying to you that I always do a good job. And I advise you not to listen in on other people's private conversations."

"Don't sass me, Jarvis. Now put the conversation on audio. I want to hear this." _It better be good._

"I rejected her advances, so clearly her saddened reaction was expected. But…"

_Wait a minute. Girls actually like this guy? Enough to ask him out? Dear gods, this world is going mad._

"But I never expected her second reaction. She started giggling, and I found myself wondering where I went wrong since I know my reply was accurate."

_Gods, who even talks like this nowadays?_

"Whatever I said must have made her happy because as she waved farewell she said…"

_This better be good. I could use a distraction._

"It's always the good ones."

_Wait, what?_

"Jarvis, did he really just say what I think he did? Oh god, he totally did!" Tony grinned. This guy was really dense.

"Sir, I think it would be unwise to mingle in this."

"Oh hell no. I could eat popcorn while listening to this."

Jarvis chose to ignore him further. Tony Stark never listened to him and he knew that he would later regret the given advice. So he gave Locke his answer, "She believed you to be gay, sir."

"What!" Tony heard Locke reply. He could picture the look of confusion on the man's face.

"A gay man, sir."

The laugh that started to form in Tony's throat suddenly subsided. Jarvis' voice now seemed to be aimed not only at Locke but to Tony as well.

"Homosexual, as in attracted to the same gender."

He should not have pictured Locke's confused expression. He should not have even pictured his face at all. He should have listened to Jarvis, the voice of reason that he always chose to ignore. But then, bright laughter came from the speakers and interrupted the silence. He did not get the chance to curse Jarvis or himself.

Locke's laugh was melodious and beautiful, and he was immediately tempted to think of the how the lips producing that laughter would feel pressed against his own.

* * *

Thank you find readers, followers and favoriters for taking the time to read my story

Don't forget to leave a review, there food for the soul^^

Last but not least, thank you sinister Banana for being my beta


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I do not own the Avengers or Marvel.

* * *

**Chapter 12**

Tony called his earlier cancelled "date." Natalie—Nat, or whatever that woman's name was—eagerly accepted the opportunity to meet up with him. _She'd be a fool to turn me down._

Women always came easily to him. It never ceased to amaze Tony of his ability to find willing bed partners with just a snap of his fingers. He was like a bright, radiating light and they were moths helplessly attracted to him. They gave him their bodies, their kisses, and their unwanted shallow love advances. They left him satisfied. They stilled some of his hungers, but they always left him feeling empty. Their transparent, superficial love was unwelcome. It was only meant for the man they saw. That man that had charms, looks, and money. He'd given them a short moment of bliss and that was enough. Sex was all he was willing to give and take.

By morning, he always wanted the girl out of his tower.

He did not want to face Locke at home, at least not today anymore. Tony knew he had to face his assistant eventually. You can't share the same kitchen and not run into each other. But now he needed to get something out his system and he refused to accept a certain attraction. So he had made the mistake of inviting "Nat" for dinner and now he was suffering under his bad decision. She chatted away about all sorts of meaningless things. A pretend look of interest sat on his face. Pepper would have seen right through it. Even Locke would…

_Damn you, Tony! Stop using your brain for once._

_Thank god she's pretty at least._

Nat had blue eyes with long lashes and long hair in the unnatural blonde colour that many women possessed. And legs, dear god her legs reached endless lengths. _And soon they will wrap around me._

Her mindless talk continued and he was eternally grateful when the waiter brought them their food. It was not because of his hunger. He feared that his head might pop and explode if he had to listen to anymore of her shit.

"Another bottle of champagne, please." Tony smiled at her and gave a wink. In return she giggled.

"Oh, Tony, you are so kind."

_No, I just need a drink. Perhaps you'll be more alluring with alcohol in my veins._

As if the waiter understood his need, a fresh cold bottle soon appeared. The good man poured it into their glasses while taking the already empty one from the wine cooler. _Very efficient. That man deserves a good tip._

Tony raised his glass. "A toast to dinner, so dig in." He drank half the glass before hers had even touched her red-painted lips.

Before there was time to finish his drink and refill the glass, she cut in with, "May all our dreams come true." A bright wide smile, full of white bleached teeth, was on her face as she said this. Tony nearly choked on his drink but pretended nothing happened and started cutting into his steak.

He ate and enjoyed the food. The meat was succulent and well-seasoned, and there were not too many vegetables as sides either. This blonde woman however barely touched her food, and the salad she ordered wasn't much to begin with; just a few green leaves with other stuff mixed in. There were small pieces of bacon tossed in which she meticulously plucked out, removing them from the greenery_._

_What a waste. Bacon deserves better treatment than that._

Dinner was finished in relative silence with only the occasional chatter about current news items and other boring subjects that failed to hold Tony's interest. The same dark-haired waiter returned, cleaning their table and removing the empty plates.

"Would you like dessert?"

"Ooooh, yes please! Do you have anything with—"

Tony cut her off. "No, we don't. You guys know where to send the bill, don't you?"

"But Toonnnyyy."

_God stop whining._

_Why did I ever think this was a good idea?_ He rolled his eyes_. Reminder to myself to never take one-night stands to dinner. It's not worth it. I bet Locke would find this whole situation rather amusing. He'd probably laugh…_

_Fuck._

"You'll get your dessert. Just not here." He smiled smoothly at her and got up from his chair. They left the place swiftly, hurrying to the car, Tony with the will to purge a certain thought from his mind and Nat—or Kat?—with the idea of sleeping with the one and only Tony Stark. He hoped she had the decency to be gone from his bed by morning.

The alcohol had done its work though. He felt a comfortable numbing buzz at the back of his head telling him everything was fine. His remark about dessert had worked wonders and there was a silence full of heated anticipation in the car. The blue eyes of the young woman next to him roamed his stature in both question and appreciation. Slowly she shifted in her leather car seat and the hem of her black dress slid up an inch as her left leg brushed against his. Subtlety was not something she was good at. It was evident in her eyes and her actions what she desired from him.

Tony smirked. Her way of seduction was crude and fast. She was years too young to understand the excruciating slow play of words, eyes, and soft touches like he did. Not that it mattered right now for he had no patience with a slow seduction tonight. All he craved was her soft body around his and the distraction of her warm flesh.

He leaned towards her when the car slowed down, knowing this was their stop. He whispered in her ear, "You'll get your dessert very soon." Even without touching her, he was able to draw a soft sound from her lips. Her breath hitched in unison with her rapidly blushing face.

Their current play continued in the elevator where slow tunes played in the background, elevating the mood slightly. Tony did not bother with idle talk as he placed his hand on the back of her neck, pulling her towards him and catching her fire engine red mouth. The kiss wasn't soft but lustful and needy. She knew what she wanted and opened her mouth, letting her tongue slowly tease his bottom lip. Her hands reached along his sides, going to the back of his neck where she dug her brown-polished nails into his short hair. Tony deepened the kiss and invaded her mouth, taking control. He flipped them so that her back pressed against the elevator wall, her lust-filled lips never leaving his but only craving more and more. Long fingernails travelled down his spine, scratching his skin. A '_ping!'_ sound interrupted them, signaling their arrival at the penthouse. Meekly she followed him out, giving a loud giggle of joy.

_Please shut up! I don't need him to wake up._

Her arms clung around him in a sudden embrace and she kissed him on the cheek.

_Shit. She's way too affectionate for my tastes. At least she stopped talking but—_

"Tony, your house is wonderful!"

_Great, it's getting to her head._

"Yes, I expect nothing less for myself." He went towards the bar without her, hoping he could shut up this chatterbox with another drink or at least drink himself.

He was pouring a glass of scotch when she came up from behind and nibbled on his ear. "I'm ready for that dessert now." Her voice was sweet and filled with lust. Her hands moved down his body and he let her.

_Finally a good idea from you._

_"_But first…"

_No! You don't need firsts._

Teasingly her hand reached further down along the hem of his pants. "First I need to go to the bathroom."

_You cruel bitch._

He did not make his dissatisfaction known. "It's in the hallway on the left side of the elevator. Be quick."

He was left alone to finish his golden-coloured drink at the bar. This woman was letting things get to her head and invading his personal space with her unwanted affections. Those did not belong in this scenario; they were not lovers, just merely bed partners for a night. Why women always thought they would be able to get more from him than others did was a mystery of the female kind. They all knew—hell, everybody knew—his reputation and tastes in bed. Settling down was not involved. It was mindboggling as to why some of them still tried their weak attempts to "win" him over.

His scotch glass was now empty. Her leave was taking far too long for his liking, so he began to walk towards the hallway. She'd better be ready. He needed her now and not in an hour when the alcohol would start to wear off. His eyes snapped open in sudden awareness and dread as he heard a voice coming from the hallway.

"Who are you and what are you doing here? This is my private domain."

This was accompanied by a whiny voice calling out to him. "Tony!"

He groaned and rolled his eyes. _Great, just great._

"I do not take kindly to wailing women especially if they interrupt my sleep."

"Sorry! I didn't mean to. But who are you anyway? And, Tony, where are you!"

"I believe I was first in asking a question. _Now answer me_." Tony recognised the tone in Locke's voice. He was clearly irritated and he could not blame the man for it. Nat was irritating; gorgeous, but irritating.

"She's with me." Tony turned the corner, entering the hallway where his one-night stand was trying to have an impossible discussion with his—

Tony's brain yelled for an immediate shut down at the sight. All regular functions seemed to stop and he could do nothing but stare at what he saw.

Locke seemed like a stranger compared to his appearance earlier that morning. He had a clean freshly-shaven face. All traces of the scruffy beard were gone from the man's visage and his blonde hair was cut shorter so that the half-long hairs hung just above his shoulders, framing the definitively manly yet beautiful face.

_God…fuck, I did not just think that._

Locke narrowed his eyes, feeling intruded upon by Stark's gaze. "Explain," he ordered.

"You washed your hair."

_What the hell, Tony. Get your shit together._

"Obviously I did. And what is this feeble tramp doing here? I was sleeping and she dared to wake me with her noises of glee."

Nat remained silent, either impressed or threatened by the glare she was receiving from the blonde man. "Locke, this is the date you cancelled a few days back. Nat, this is Locke, my assistant." Of course this woman chose that particular moment to interrupt as she tried to defend herself in vain.

"I am not a tramp!"

Locke raised an eyebrow. "You certainly look like one with your dress running up and your painted lips smeared. Or pray tell me, is this the new way of dressing with elegance?"

She stuttered in her response. "Y-You jerk! Tony, do something!"

"Cease your whining, woman! You don't actually think he cares for you? He cares only as much as you care about his wellbeing and life."

"Hey! I care! Tony is—"

"Spare me your lies. You are far too transparent to try doing that."

It was like watching two cats fight and the big hissing one was winning. Tony realised he had to get them to stop before they started demolishing the curtains. "Ok, now kittens. Stop fighting."

"See? He calls me a kitten so he does care."

Tony had to put an end to this before the girl got anymore disillusioned. The situation was already getting out of hand and he might as well make the clean break now. "No, I don't care."

She looked at him with wide eyes. "But…you took me on a date."

"Yep, my mistake. I was just hungry. Now be a doll and get back into the living room or—"

"Leave right now," Locke said with clear aggravation ringing in his voice as he interrupted Stark's sentence. He did not want this annoying woman in his presence any longer. His slumber would not be intruded upon just like that. If Stark thought he could leave the girl remaining anywhere in his vicinity, he was dreadfully wrong. She stood there, mouth agape, looking like a lamb ready for slaughter. Something told him that even this one had to annoy Stark to a certain degree.

"No, she doesn't have to leave," Tony said directly. He actually wanted her to stay.

Locke looked menacingly at the blonde woman for forcing herself upon his domain. "She _is_ leaving."

"I…I will leave…" She was already retreating towards the elevator under Locke's effective and penetrating glare. "Tony, call me when he is gone, please? Bye."

Tony sighed heavily. _No, I won't call you. There are better fish in the sea._

"Locke, what the hell! You ruined my night again, cockblocker."

Loki stared back at him, the same menacing look still present in his sleep-filled eyes. "If your companion was capable of a decent silence or respect I might have let her stay. It is not my fault that you brought such a lowly woman here. Surely even you must have doubts at her character. Now leave me be! I want to go back to sleep."

Tony could not help it. His frustration demanded a reply. "One, yes, she was horrible_." Please, please stop looking at me._ "Two, I don't care. I just wanted sex."

He noticed Locke's glare diminishing. A look of tiredness washed over the man's face as he clearly tried to stifle a yawn. _That was kind of cu…Stop looking at him, Tony._

"Three, for the love of god, please stop cancelling these kinds of dates in my agenda just to annoy me."

Loki sighed. Why did humans go to such lengths trying to find sexual relief, even going so far as to wake him up from a pleasant slumber between soft blankets? Not to mention Stark had been staring at him throughout the whole ordeal as if the situation itself wasn't enough. Really, he had shaved, washed, and cut his hair. What was so special about that? He stared back trying to discern the different facial expressions on the brown-haired man before him.

Frustration and confusion were the most evident in his soft brown eyes, but there was something else too lingering along the edges. Loki could not put a name on it nor could he look away. Something in Stark's eyes held him captive.

Tony, on the other hand, saw Locke's demeanour change after his "date" left. His authority sunk low again and tiredness washed over the man's body. His gait now was almost calm and serene with only his eyes remaining ever vigilant and observing.

"Go back to bed, Locke."

Loki was indeed tired and wanted to sleep more than anything else. But to be told to go to bed like an infant? That was a step too far. "Do not tell me what to do, Stark."

"Stop twisting my intentions."

"Your intentions are to get rid of me."

"Yes…no." _Which one is it, Tony?_ "Just go to bed, Locke. It's obvious you need sleep."

Tiredness dissipated from his assistant's face to be replaced by a frown. Loki moved towards him and spoke threateningly. "You are still telling me what to do, Stark."

Tony backed off, not from fear but by another thought that crossed his mind. The way the man danced in front of him with his rather endearing tired look and threatening posture was…_arousing_.

"I'm not…it's just that…" _Oh screw this._

"That what, Stark!"

The lingering emotion had risen in the inventor's eyes and Loki stared back, his own blue orbs gleaming with the chance to discover what it was. Slowly he recognised the dull flame of desire staring lustily back at him from Stark's brown irises. He backed away from Stark by a footstep, giving himself one question. _Why? That woman already left._

That was when Tony Stark's actions spoke louder than words.

* * *

Thank you for reading everybody! i hope you guys will always love this story.

Don't hesitate to leave some soul-food ( reviews)

lots of love, i dreamdragon

last but not least, thanks to sinister banana for beta reading


	13. Chapter 13

disclaimer: i do not own the avengers or marvel

This chapter goes out to an unnamed friend, may this amuse you and enlighten your spirit. It is your tea pie and snakes on a Sunday morning.

**Chapter 13**

Maybe it was the alcohol running through his system, or maybe he'd reached a limit and was no longer capable of being in denial. Whatever it was, Tony Stark foolishly but hopefully acted on the raging emotions telling him to just reach out and grab the thing he wanted.

_This may be my worst idea yet._

A flash of recognition shone brightly in Locke's blue eyes and he began to back away. However, it was not nearly enough to keep a determined Tony Stark at bay. Before the tall blonde man had any chance to put more distance between them, Tony had already resorted to action.

Like a deer in headlights, Loki was frozen to the spot unable to stop Stark from defiling his human body. The hand of the shorter brown-haired inventor grabbed the back of his head, pulling him closer until surprisingly soft lips reached his own. He found Stark's kiss to be gentle, soft, and not entirely unpleasant. The slight tingling sensation made him feel…enjoyable.

Fortunately for Loki, the sensation did not last long, for those lips on his were sweet and already removing themselves.

Tony stood dumbfounded. The screams, kicks, and punches he half-heartedly expected from Locke did not come. His hand still lingered in the smooth, blonde locks of the other man as he ended the touch between their lips. Stormy blue eyes looked at him in confusion and question ran amok in those deep pools of emotion. A lesser man than Tony might have drowned in them. Silence hung heavy in the air as their verbal warfare remained unusually absent and heated anger stayed out of Locke's beautiful eyes.

Tony moved again, deciding that this opportunity should not be wasted and that Locke's lips were made to be kissed by him.

Loki was lost and disappointed in himself for thinking Stark's lips had felt soft. He simultaneously felt relieved that the caring touch removed itself from his flesh even while missing the feeling it gave him. Too late he caught sight of warm brown orbs shimmering with new resolve, and he could not find the will to stop their owner from repeating their previous actions.

This time Stark's mouth crashed against his roughly with all the passion their previous meeting had missed. Another hand was added to the back of his head, pulling him in tight for a heated kiss. A tongue raked slowly along his lips, moistening them while teasingly demanding for more and more. If Loki's human body had any say in the matter, it gladly complied with the inviting request. Like with anger, the feeling that was setting course through his limbs and veins made his heartbeat elevate and speed up. Like with anger, his response came without thinking and was purely brought on by a small flame sprung out in a flare. A small bite and nibble pulled his bottom lip and hands tugged his hair gently but demandingly. Much to his shame, the blue-eyed ex-god could not still the barely audible moan that flowed from his mouth.

Tony could not believe his stroke of luck after such a bad day. He felt the resonance of Locke's moan course throughout his body, adding fuel to the fire. He took advantage of those deliciously opened lips by further deepening the kiss while slowly but surely pushing his tall assistant against the wall.

Loki's backside hit the wall and he noticed the brown-haired, self-proclaimed genius taking a certain level of control. Secretly he found that this annoying man did not taste unpleasant, and he was losing himself more and more in the sudden sensations coursing through him. A shiver of unexplained desire ran through Loki's body and it dawned on him that he no longer had any control of the situation. The mortal in front of him, however, was foolish for thinking that he could gain leverage. His mind and body in turmoil demanded for a change of course.

Tony felt a hand cup his jaw with a firm grip, and before he had the opportunity to register what was happening, he was flipped around suddenly so that his own back was now against the wall. His assistant was full of surprises, and he found himself kissed back with the same vicious stamina normally reserved for discussions. Another tongue joined in the battle for dominance. Unexpectedly against his nature, Tony gave in to Locke's control, feeling wonderfully helpless in his grasp.

Loki admitted that he was starting to grow fond of this newfound, reviving feeling. He grinned, feeling the other man give up his hopeless struggle. It was good to know that Stark gave in and became his.

Slowly his mind kicked in.

_Stark is mine now._

That's what the warm, melting body in his grip told him.

Suddenly, as if he only just realised his actions, Loki pushed himself away abruptly.

_What am I doing?_

He tried very evidently to compose himself and regain control over a body that no longer seemed his own.

_Have I finally gone mad? Have I reached the borders of my sanity?_

His eyes flashed towards Stark who was plastered against the wall, face flushed and kissed lips slightly parted. Loki's heart beat loudly in his chest as a certain knowledge sprang to mind. The way Stark looked undone—staring at him with a mixture of want, regret, and loss—was all his own doing. Those big autumn-brown eyes told him something he did not want to know. Stark's words did the same.

"Don't go."

Tony watched the expression on Locke's face shift as the man started to realise his passionate actions. It rapidly changed from lust-filled to dawning comprehension before finally ending with a panicking fear drawn across his beautiful pale face. Tony's mind raced, telling him to step in and get what he desired. To bring those soft demanding lips back to his own.

His assistant bolted to his room, slamming the door behind and leaving Tony alone in the now silent hallway. Tony had known that sooner or later his stroke of luck would end badly. But the moment his blue-eyed assistant turned the tables and took the upper hand, hope had crept into his brain making itself comfortable and wanting for more. He did not want their tryst to come to an end, and he had thought the other man's hot passionate kisses were an indication that he might feel the same way.

Tony did not have a clue anymore as to why the thought of making out with another man had freaked him out. In fact, it was not that different compared to women, or at least it did not make him feel any different or more awkward. Actually it felt pretty good now that he thought about it. The action itself was something else of course—new smells and tastes; the same kind of strength in the body of a partner.

He only felt a slight pang of guilt for picking the wrong time, place, and perhaps man. In the end Locke had not wanted this, right? How would or could he face the man now, knowing what had transpired between them? Could he blame it on being drunk? No. By now he knew Locke well enough to know that the man was as capable as Pepper in seeing right through him. Frustrated about his new situation, he headed towards the lab in need of something to focus his mind on besides the desire to rush into Locke's bedroom and ravish the man.

Cleaned out car parts lay scattered everywhere on the floor. Tony sat down on an empty chair next to the engine he'd been working on during the previous days. There was never a shortage of work as long as his mind kept going, injecting him with innovative new ideas every ten seconds. At first he had thought about rebuilding the demolished car from his accident with Locke, but after removing the broken parts and laying them out, a new plan had formed. He was sure that somewhere in the chaos of his lab, the laid out parts made sense. There was always a plan behind his enthusiastic madness.

The engine of his old red sports car was placed on the table next to him, now unrecognisable if compared to its original form. It had been completely modified and a blue glow illuminated its centre, casting a shimmering shadow play on the architectural metal pieces. AC/DC blasted from the speakers as Tony continued his work, trying to deter the longing feelings inside him.

A few hours and several cups of strong 'Maybe-I'll-sell-this' Stark coffee later, Tony had completed more work than expected. He sat there content, staring at the now finished engine. All that was left was building the rest of the car which was fairly easy work compared to this. His mind had wandered off plenty but no longer did he find his thoughts of Locke disturbing. His thoughts about Loki, however, were still another problem of its own, and they were something he hoped to not deal with in the same manner as he had for Locke.

Somewhere along the line Tony decided it didn't matter one bit if he was straight, gay, bi-sexual, or just interested in anything that moved and had a fine ass. In his personal opinion, after seeing Locke in a different light, he had to admit that the man indeed had a mighty fine ass. Whatever or whomever he liked, he was still Tony Stark—genius billionaire playboy philanthropist, and probably the most handsome bi-sexual man on Earth.

_After all, I still love breasts. Those things are just wonderful._

Loki, meanwhile, tried to fall asleep in the stillness of his own room. But every time he closed his eyelids, his mind wandered back to previous…events. Due to his constant remembering of the very real and heated kiss he shared with one Tony Stark, his goal towards achieving a peaceful, dreamless slumber seemed to be out of the question. Even as he lay wide awake, he kept on having internal discussions. Mostly he was blaming Stark for not having any self-control. But then again, neither had he and his own actions scared him. Eventually Loki drifted off to sleep, incapable of keeping his eyelids from closing and unwilling to admit that he feared the dreams to come.

Loki jolted awake to the loud beeps and high-pitched tone of his alarm clock as it alerted him to the time. A slow, lazy hand struggled to find the 'Off' switch. He noticed his own irregular breathing and flushed warm face. For a moment he thought his fever had returned, but he seemed alright. He felt alive, awake and…

Slowly the dots connected. He pulled off the blanket and stood up with haste, cursing Stark and the aggravating stupid actions that caused this. Never had he felt so…so frustrated and confused in his own body.

Embarrassed, he admitted that he was facing a problem that most human males suffered on a daily basis.

* * *

Again thank you patient readers! i have the next chapter on paper, so i need to type everything out .a.s.a.p!

Don't forget to leave a review for me to consume, i eat those things for breakfast.

And as always, thank you sinister Banana for being my beta^^


	14. Chapter 14

disclaimer: i do not own marvel. bla bla bla

**CHAPTER 14**

Loki had managed to avoid every living being in or around the tower the day after he had been kissed. He still got his coffee in the morning, the mixture of milk, sugar, and hot dark liquid was ready for him at the usual time which actually surprised him. Stark had made a wise decision for once in his life for he could not see the brown haired engineer anywhere in the vicinity of the kitchen. He drank his hot beverage while enjoying the view of the city in silence, cold air brushing against his face as he sat outside on the large balcony of the penthouse. That day he remained seated outside, figuring that it would be the least likely place to run into Stark or any other being. A laptop rested on the small table in front of him, the screen revealing a mailbox full with requests of attendance. Every human organisation wanted a piece of Iron Man; they practically begged the man to come to their event. How shameless. Some even went as far as to offer payment for a mere visit, and Loki had to read each and every one of them, sifting through the good, bad, and incredibly ridiculous offers. By the end of the long day only a few handfuls of proper deals remained, all he needed now was Stark's approval, and that could wait until the next day. He really did not want or need to see that face today, not after absorbing himself in so much work to take his mind of the previous night.

The second day after their unfortunate meeting started in much the same way, peaceful morning silence, decent coffee, and no Stark. Unfortunately he could hear the sound of a sliding glass door, a signal declaring that he would not be alone for much longer.

"So this is where you've been hiding. Nice secret hideout, very spacious."

"Stark." He said, acknowledging the presence of the man.

"Yeah, good morning to you too, your Highness."

Loki decided that any attempt of spoken words on his side would only fuel talkative enthusiasm on Stark's behalf, he who had seated himself to close for Loki's comfort. So instead he chose to ignore the man's words or actions in hope that the shorter male would cease his pursuit of socialisation.

Stark pointed at his coffee, the warm drink still emitting curls of steam in the air.

"Noticed you got used to my poison. I want to bet you can't live another day without it."

_I hate it when you are correct, Stark._

"Nobody can resist the charm…of my coffee. They all succumb to it sooner or later." Stark said, before taking a sip of his own pure, dark coffee. "Your silence does nothing but agree, your Highness, to the fact that you love to have something of mine in your mouth."

Loki thanked the nine for his current self-control, because after hearing those words, he almost, _almost_ spewed out his coffee. He did not want to know what kind of look was on his own face now; horror, confusion, fear, or anything in between. And instead of backing off at whatever expression sat on his face, Stark, the fool, decided to advance further. The comment was obviously a jest at the kiss they shared, and right now Loki was furious because of this, furious because it was not entirely untrue. Loki composed himself again, straightening out the surprised look on his face. With all intent on having the man back off he glared at him, not sparring the look of annoyance of defiance in his eyes.

"Baby, I love it when you glare like that."

_What!?_ Loki was taken aback by this declaration coming from the engineer. Said man's speech and body language alerted him, telling him the words "jokingly" said were true. _He can't be serious._

"Cat got your tongue?" Stark smiled, his face giving off a certain resolve instead of the earlier worry and discomfort Stark always had around him. And this chance worried Loki, who felt uneasy knowing that Stark dropped his earlier discomfort. It was as if their roles had been reversed. Loki lifted his drink, better to empty it and end this one sided conversation before it evolved. Before he had a chance to lift it, a warm calloused hand wrapped around his hand holding the cup.

"You're holding it wrong." Stark took the cup from him, evidently intent on showing how he should hold it. "It's coffee, not tea and biscuits. Just grab it and drink it like a man, not like a princess."

Stark pressed the still-warm cup back in his hands, letting his fingers remain on his a second too long for Loki's liking. With one swift move He emptied his hot drink and stood up.

"I told you earlier not to touch me, or treat me like an ignorant child." Stark did nothing but look at him with this annoyingly knowing smirk on his face, and Loki wished for nothing more than to wipe it off. "I expect you to be decently dressed in twenty minutes, I have things that you need to sign for approval, and at noon you have another meeting with Bruce Banner." He closed the glass door behind him, leaving the other man on the balcony alone.

Loki entered his own room intent on dressing up properly and to brush his teeth. The taste of coffee lingering in his mouth reminded him too much of Stark, in a way he did not want it to. His cheeks were red with anger, shame…or something else he had no intent on feeling. He brushed his teeth in silence while staring at his strange reflection. During the past weeks he had slowly grown accustomed to his more untameable blond locks, but the stormy-blue colour in his eyes was something he still had not gotten used to. Nor would he probably ever like them for, admittedly, he missed the perfect green of his own godly eyes. The ex-god did a mundane thing, cleaning out his toothbrush, washing his face and with cool water and soap. There was a lingering smell of oil and coffee on his hand. With a raised eyebrow he wondered where the smell originated from. He could understand the coffee but not the oil. And then he knew, it was where Stark had touched his hand while showing him how to "drink coffee like a man". And it dawned on him that he had not flinched back from the foreign touch, nor did the smell of coffee and oil he associated with the brown haired genius disgust him any longer. He had even grown accustomed to his warm coffee with milk in the morning, even if it was the engineer that made it for him.

Tony waited for his tall and lean assistant in the living room, impeccably but casually dressed. He could not help but gloat that in his persistence, Locke had not retreated his hand in a reflex of anger, nor did they end up verbally killing each other. Sure the man had glared at him, but it was the truth when he had told the other that it turned him on. No man should be allowed to be that beautiful when glaring. It took will power not to make an attempt to ravish the other man, and it was much against his normal nature to resist it. The sound of a closing door resounded in the hallway, noting Locke's return from his room.

"Darling!"

"Stop right there Stark."

"Is it that time of the month again?" Tony grinned, for a reason he felt good enough to test the waters today, see how far he could go before the man tried to strangle him.

"Stark." Loki said with a dark undertone in his voice.

"I'm not-so-secretly hoping that if I get you pissed enough you're gonna give me that devious glare again." Tony said grinning. Loki dropped a few files on the table in front of Stark.

"You need to choose one of these and sign it; they all need a yes or no before tonight."

"I love it when you talk business like that." Loki rolled his eyes, would that man ever give up his hopeless flirting?

"The first one is an attendance for…" A laugh coming from the kitchen interrupted them, both Loki and Tony were equally surprised to see Steve Rogers standing in the doorway laughing his socks off while holding a sandwich.

"Jarvis?"

"Sir."

"Care to explain why Cap is making sandwiches in my kitchen?"

"You guys should have seen your bickering." Steve tried to catch his breath again, before Jarvis formulated his answer.

"Sir, it seemed futile to make Mr. Rogers wait downstairs so I let him take the elevator to the penthouse. Upon arrival he took the liberty to prepare himself food." Steve managed to regain his normal friendly composure, a warm smile sat on his face.

"Well, I'm happy to see you two get along."

"Oh we more than just get along, right your Highness?"

"Stark, read and sign your papers." And if you dare to mention what happened so held me I will strangle you.

"The both of you know that you look like an old married couple arguing, right?" Steve said before he took a bite from his sandwich.

"Get back in the kitchen and make me a sandwich Steve!" Tony replied while running a hand through his short brown hair. And there went the mighty Captain America, back into the kitchen, fully intent on making his friend a sandwich. The reference of what Tony said was lost on his friend, and that made the serious way in which the tall, blond, and broad-shouldered American got into the kitchen all the more hilarious. Tony shot a careful glance at Locke; there was a small almost unnoticeable amused smile on his face. Without thinking about it he shouted towards the kitchen. "Steve, make Locke something too." It did not go by unnoticed to Steve that Tony Stark himself had requested food for his assistant. And he smiled, even if Tony was seen as an egotistical, narcissistic ass by most people, and even by him in the past. But in time he learned the truth in the actions of his friend. Tony did not mind having Locke around anymore. When Steve returned to the large open living room again it was silent, Tony was reading a file while Locke seemed to be patiently waiting for reply. How Locke Ladislav managed to make his short friend read anything without constant moping or sighing was a certain mystery. He put a small plate with sandwiches on the table, and the three of them ate in silence.

"So Steve, why the early visit? Did you break something again?" The smile on Steve's face faded into a serious lined lip.

"I'm here on a different matter, Fury is…"

Tony ended up finishing Steve's sentence. "Hiding things from us?"

Steve nodded.

Tony looked at Steve and acknowledge the man's nod. "He is still working on the portal with Selvig, even without the power of the tessaract. Not to mention toying with the left over Chitauri weaponry." The mood had gotten more serious, even his assistant was paying attention."I'm just waiting for the moment I can say I told you so

"Yeah well, you can." Tony narrowed his eyes, a hardly noticeable wrinkle showing a sign of worry on his face.

"Yesterday during a routine job I was attacked by one Chitauri, he looked different from those we encountered here in New York during Loki's reign. But it was unmistakably a Chitauri."

"Did I hear that correctly? Please tell me I'm deaf Steve."

Loki, who was listening in on every spoken word with fervent interest, paled. Another human emotion seemed to be taking hold of his body, overriding any logical thinking, like anger and…was it lust? Had done before. It was fear he felt that made him rigid and tense, he dropped a half eaten sandwich to the floor.

_Scouts._

"Locke?"

_They are sending small parties of scouts._

"Locke, are you in there?" Tony snapped a finger in front of his assistants face

_They have come looking for me._

Tony was about to start shaking the petrified man when Steve stopped him.

"Don't, you'll only make it worse." Tony looked at his friend in question.

"Don't hold out on me, capsicle, spill the beans."

"I've seen this reaction before, on the battlefield and the frontlines. My guess is that he had a run in with the Chitauri before, and that it did not end well for him. Not to mention that before he came here, he was weak, injured, and homeless." Steve's phone rang, calling to his attention and simultaneously Jarvis alerted Tony to an incoming call.

"Sir, Fury requests that you pick up."

"Ignore him."

"We can't ignore him, Tony."

"Hell yes we can!" Tony said irritation and anger brewing in his head.

"No we can't, look outside."

The early rays of morning sunshine and the bright cloudless sky seemed to have dissolved, a sudden storm was brewing and they both knew what that meant.

"Jarvis, put Fury on speaker."

"Both of you, get to the helicarrier now."

"Does this have anything to do with a certain portal you're still working on, or those Chitauri weapons? Not to mention the attack yesterday."

"Stark stop being an …" It felt good to cut Fury off mid-sentence.

"I hate to say I told you so, wait no I don't. I told you so."

"With all due respect sir, Tony will not be able to come in this instant."

"What!?" Even Steve was telling him what to do right now.

"There is a small but important situation going on here that requires his attention." Steve said, ignoring Tony and pointing in Locke's general direction, who still sat in silence, an alabaster face looking outside.

"Fine, but you better hurry up Captain. Stark, put him into one of your aircrafts to get him here swiftly, I'm sure you have those around as well."

"Go Stark, and play with your friends." Locke's voice had been silent the whole time, and now that he spoke out loud it was lacking in conviction. Outside, more deep-grey clouds gathered for an upcoming storm. A slow rumble could be heard already. Big blue eyes shining with worry and something else stared outside, the lack of sunlight made him look paler faced than normal.

"Locke Ladislav?" Steve got no response from the man, nor had he really expected any at this point. "I'm leaving you in the capable hands of Tony. Contrary to what people say he's actually good at defending and protecting. Not to mention making sacrifices." Steve said with the voice of a real soldier, a Captain's voice.

"Hey, don't I get a say in this?" Tony said. Whatever it was that Fury had gotten them into he wanted to know all the finer details and then some. A low, growling rumble resounded in the sky, a loud clap of thunder with a stroke of lightning lit the sky for a short moment. Tony noticed his assistant fidgeting in his chair, which was unusual since Locke was not the fidgeting kind of person. His friend and fellow Avenger was right, he could not leave the man like this. "Bye Steve, you know where to go. Either you or Bruce tell me as soon as possible how fucked we are."

"We will." The tall blond hero said before he carried himself off with a sure but hurried pace.

Rain came falling down from the sky, covering the city in a wet dull-grey mass, a second thunderous roar drew a panicked look from his assistant; it even made Tony worried.

"Scared of lightning?" Two deep, shimmering, blue orbs looked at him, they were set in a pale, sculpted face. Even if the man looked a bit frightful, Locke was absolutely beautiful. Yet a creepy sense of déjà vu overcame tony as Locke spoke up softly.

"I am… _not overly fond of what follows_" Tony knew the taller man wanted to say more than just the words _I am_, and it downright bothered him that the rest remained unsaid. Yet the way he finished it in his head reminded him of another "person" _Not overly fond of what follows_. Even in an unexpected moment like this the green-eyed god invaded his mind, even when he already had admitted to himself that he could be attracted to men as well, his brain seemed intent on letting the insane god haunt every unguarded moment. The other man that haunted his dream was sitting in a chair not too far from him, huge emotion filled eyes looking outside, his lips slightly parted almost begging to be kissed again. A third stroke of lightning accompanied by a recognisable roar of thunder alerted them both to the same thing without them knowing it. The arrival of a certain thunder god, Thor.

Locke seemed to have reverted back to silence, starring outside in a almost defensive way. Tony wondered what the man had gone through during the big raid of Chitauri on New York, thinking back to events that happened to him he had a clue of how his assistant might have felt or what he'd dealt with. A warmness started spreading in Tony while watching his lean assistant and he took his chair only to place it besides Locke's and sat down. Loki felt two harmless but warm arms wrap carefully around him, they felt oddly comforting, and his body seemed to release some of its tension. Knowing whose arms were the cause of this did not make the battle between his body and brain easier. One side wanted to lash out and the other wanted to give in. And then Loki did something unexpected of himself and his normal nature.

Nothing.

* * *

Thank you patient readers, i'm aware you guys had to wait for more than ten days. I'd like you to know that chapter 15 an 16 are both at my beta already.

feel free to leave a review i can always use some soul-food.

And thanks to my beta tragic guardian and sinister Banana.


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I do not own marvel

**Chapter 15**

Tony Stark was at a loss for words. Not a single syllable sprang to his mind nor had any coherent words formed in his brain. The short, brown-haired genius was certain that if he opened his mouth right now nothing but gibberish would come out of it. Surely any sound of his voice daring to break the spell of silence would take him away from this impossibly surreal moment.

A mop of golden, sand-coloured hair rested against his shoulder.

The engineer could not comprehend what was happening or why it happened at all. The only thing left for him to do was sit still and enjoy it for as long as it lasted.

After Captain America left him with his rigid, almost comatose, assistant who was starring in utter silence towards the raging storm outside, a spark of desire had crept over Tony, pulling itself closer and closer to the surface and giving him small goosebumps over his entire body. Those staring blue eyes were tragic and beautiful. They didn't burn with their regular fire and venomous passion, yet they remained desirable nonetheless. It made him feel like a helpless moth drawn to the light of a burning flame that would eventually turn him to a pile of ashes.

He wrapped his arms around the other man, hoping they could stay there for a even just a brief moment in time.

His silent request was granted. His arms held Locke and stayed carefully placed around the tall and lean man. Minutes seemed to pass before the intense gaze of his assistant dissipated. Tony could feel Locke's chest rising up and slowly releasing a deep breath. The ominous dark-grey colour in the sky above New York dispersed, giving way to blue clear skies just as fast as it had appeared. As those clouds faded his tall assistant gradually relaxed, slowly letting his weight lean into Tony's embrace.

That is how Tony ended up in his current predicament with a pale-faced man, adorned by golden locks and closed eyes, leaning against him. His snarky, easily-angered assistant was now in deep sleep, his breathing brushing against Tony's goosebump-filled skin with every exhale. For the love of god he could not help but smell the man's natural scent. Locke smelled of cold winter evenings when the skies were clear and all the stars shone across a black background. At least that was what Tony envisioned from that pure scent. No other description could be given, except that Locke had minty breath.

_Which is also nice. I mean, you don't kiss people with horrible morning breath. Not even when they are sleeping this cutely._

_Wait, what?_ Tony's eyes shot open and he raised an eyebrow in contemplation. _Did I just…_

_Yes, I did think he was cute._

_Damn._

Tony was torn between two ideas. First, he wanted to let Locke rest without waking him up. Secondly he wanted to go, just put on his suit, and leave. Whatever Fury had done, he wanted to know. But an internal dilemma raged war between these two desires for he could not do one without giving up the other.

And he really did not want to let Locke go. If anything, he wanted to pull him closer and place a kiss on those soft, smooth lips. They were almost begging for him to place a tender touch on them and the cleanly shaved skin on Locke's jaw deserved lingering strokes. Not to mention Locke's neck practically begged for Tony to run the tip of his tongue along it, only to end with a…

_Fuck._

_I should really stop thinking._

"Jarvis? What is the probability of Locke waking up if I move him?"

"Given his state of sleep I would say about thirty-seven percent, sir. My advice would be to sit still and wait patiently."

"Torture, Jarvis!"

"What is torture, Tony?"

He turned his head and saw Pepper entering the room. It had been over a week since he had last seen her and that was when she had left him with Locke.

"I kind of hoped you would grow accustomed to having a man as a personal assistant."

_Well shit, that's not a problem anymore, Pep._

"Anyways, S.H.I.E.L.D. called me here, telling me you had a problem big enough to cause you to not attend their meeting. Is everything al—" Miss Virginia 'Pepper' Potts stopped dead in her tracks at the sight. Tony's arms were the only thing that held Locke in his chair. Otherwise the blonde man would have slumped to the ground like a sack of potatoes. Did Locke faint? Was he unwell?

"Help me, Pep."

"What's wrong with him?"

"Just sleeping. Now help me get him up. I need to put him to bed so I can leave."

_Just sleeping?_

"What do you mean '_just sleeping_'?" The Tony she knew, even if was kind-hearted, would not let a man sleep like that, especially in his arms.

"Yeah, long story. Now please help me before he slips." _Or before I start getting ideas again._

It looked like she had no choice. What had he gotten himself into now? Trouble after trouble came along when your name was Tony Stark. "Alright Tony, but then you should head over to S.H.I.E.L.D."

"Perfect. Now hold him for a while so he doesn't fall off, ok? And don't wake him up. He gets really cranky. Like PMS cranky."

Tony took the momentary release of hold as an opportunity and stretched. Pepper gave him a glare that said, 'Hurry up.' He shrugged and let out a sigh as if responding, 'Yeah, I know, but I don't care.' He picked up the other man more delicately than he cared to realise and carried him over to the couch. Tony took great care of his assistant and Pepper saw that clearly when Tony Stark, the ever single billionaire, pulled a blanket over Locke's sleeping form.

It was as if a light bulb went on in her head. He cared—no, he didn't just care for the other man—he liked him more than he could probably admit to himself. Knowing Tony, he had to be in denial of some sort or just too stupid to realise it. Oh god, all this time her friend was attracted to men and she or he did not even know it.

_The question was, does Tony know?_

"There we go. All tucked in. Now be a good Pepper and watch over him. Never know when he'll wake up and freak out again." Tony said to her with a wide stupid grin on his face. He walked in the direction of the balcony's ledge where Jarvis was already preparing the gold and red parts of his Iron Man suit.

_He knows. No, he cares for Locke too._

Well at least that explained a few things that had happened over the past few months. Already the anger and worry she had towards him lessened. Men, no matter how intelligent, were always stupid fools when it came to the heart. No, intelligent men—geniuses—were worse off than regular men. Somehow she ended up feeling a bit foolish herself too for not seeing something like this coming her way.

The only other question running rampant in her brain was, is he aware that he cares? Did he realise that besides a physical attraction he might have a deeper connection with Locke already? He had to suspect something, right? She hoped he wouldn't make the awful mistake of seeing Locke as just another conquest.

_Dear god, would he do that to his assistant or himself?_

Pepper thought to herself, hoping that Tony Stark's brain would conclude that "just sleeping" with this particular assistant would result in nothing except madness and trouble. Locke would be furious, assuming there was even a pinprick of a chance that he'd actually do it. Pepper herself would be furious, and as they say 'hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.' Or in this particular case it would be a very vengeful, venomous, and tall man who had already tried to strangle Tony while he was still in the hospital.

She looked at the man in question sleeping in peaceful oblivion on the couch. He was unaware of his surroundings or the fact that he'd been carried there by his boss. The only visible part of him was a mess of blonde hair and a grey-socked foot poking out from underneath the covers.

Pepper palmed her face. _The man Tony cares for. May God have mercy on us all._

Tony Stark, Iron Man, was flying high in the sky with great velocity towards his destination. It wouldn't take him long to reach Fury with his thrusters on max. He'd even be there before the Director could have a chance to calm down an angry Captain America. And that was saying a lot since Steve was by far the easiest Avenger to calm. The clouds parted for his red and gold armour to reveal the hellicarrier. Before he landed on the deck, he made sure to pass the windows just to notify Fury of his arrival and because he knew it pissed the hell out of him.

He walked in with full armour on and his faceplate pulled up. Iron Man in all his pissed off glory. He looked around the room. Aside from Clint and Natasha, the others were already there. Steve had left the Tower before him, flying one of Tony's own vehicles. Bruce Banner sat fidgeting on a chair, probably still feeling uncomfortable in the enormous military battle-helicopter ship—whatever they called this monstrosity. No one could blame the scientist though. Nobody would feel comfortable within the vicinity of a cell specially designed for them._Stupid assholes._

Thor was there too in all his armoured Asgardian glory.

"So what did I miss? Come on, people. Fill me in," Tony said with a loud clap of his hands, calling attention to himself and his words.

"Man of Iron, tis good to see you well," Thor claimed in his loud voice.

"Stark, nice of you to finally join us," Fury spoke, his one good eye ruthlessly staring at him and analyzing his reactions.

"I'm a nice guy after all, Fury. Unlike some here I actually stopped making weapons." Tony gave a pat on Bruce's shoulder as he passed by, a signal for the man that said something along the lines of, 'don't worry.'

"Did I forget to mention the Chitauri? Because those are always bad, nasty little things. Like cockroaches." Tony cocked his eyebrow. "Right, Steve? You got one under your boot the other day, didn't you?"

Steve—no, _Captain America_—looked at him and nodded in approval.

Tony continued. "And I know for a fact that there is a crack forming in your basement large enough for the insects to crawl out of."

"Stark, I hope you're not implying that they got here with my help." Fury's one good eye narrowed.

"No, no. Not implying at all. Just pointing in the general direction of where things get fucked up." God, he wished he had a drink right now. Fury was not only pissed off at him but, judging by the look of his face, the man was pissed at himself too. "So to what do we owe the pleasure of their visit?"

Surprisingly it was Thor that answered instead of Fury. "Loki."

"What?" Tony thought it was good that he didn't have a drink in his hand right now for he probably would have crushed his glass at the mention of that particular name. "Don't tell me your dear little darling brother escaped Pointbreak?"

"No, he…" Thor swallowed in the middle of his sentence as he tried to find the right words. "Loki is no longer…"

His teammates visibly relaxed, glad that the chaotic and rampant god could no longer spread his menacing terror across the Earth. Tony was also glad that he had his armour on for he felt tense after hearing those words come out of Thor's mouth.

_He can't be…_

Thor went on. "The Other swore an oath to my brother, a pact that if Loki failed him the Other would find him and torture him. They came to Asgard trying to sniff him out but found nothing except a lingering smell."

_He is still making me have those dreams so he can't be gone._

"Now they have come to Midgard." Thor looked to Fury and you could see that the strong Asgardian was angry. "Only a few got in by passing a rift created by you. Foolish mortal."

Fury gave no reaction but he knew very well that those words were aimed at him.

"They will not find Loki," Thor said. "But they are intent on giving the Other the revenge it seeks. That creature wants to see Midgard destroyed and it is only a matter of finding a way."

_Then those dreams I had meant that I—_

Discussion burst out among them. Tony was too lost in his own thoughts and Thor's words to even join the debate, something that he would have done immediately had he not come to a certain conclusion in his mind. If Loki had not caused those dreams to stay there…haunting him…if the god was elsewhere…

Then those thoughts were his own.

_I wanted Loki._

"Tony?" the voice of Steve Rogers called to him.

"Huh, yeah?" Tony said, snapping out of his thoughts.

"Don't you agree that as a temporary solution it would be best if we stayed at Stark Tower together?" Steve looked at him and both Bruce and Thor did the same. It would be bad for Bruce to attempt to sleep in this goddamn vehicle they were currently traveling in. Steve probably did not feel inclined to stay in the hellicarrier either. And Thor, well, he was Thor the Asgardian God that would follow them everywhere if it meant having Pop-Tarts, coffee, and shawarma.

So Tony shrugged his shoulders and said, "Sure, just give me two days."

That was how the Avengers came to agree that for the time being, instead of staying in the hellicarrier, they would stay in Stark Tower. From there on out they could easily move and advance in on any trouble. Bruce could continue all of his lab work without the constantly eerie and watchful eye of S.H.I.E.L.D. glaring over his shoulder. Steve, like Tony, was just pissed off though he just did not show it. Most of the time that man seemed to spend his hours drawing somewhere in the city or at the Tower anyway. Thor would indeed follow the rest of them. It was as simple as that. And the assassins…

Well, only time could tell what they thought whenever they returned from their current mission.

Locke would definitely not be amused by any of this, but at least he'd be safe. _Why do I need him safe?_ Tony mentally shook his head. It doesn't matter. Of course he needed his assistant safe. The guy works for him after all. It doesn't matter one bit that they kissed, or that he was hot just like… _Loki._

They all said their farewells for the time being and in two days they would all show up on his doorstep. There were enough empty rooms in the Tower on the level below his and Locke's living quarters. It was just a matter of providing those with enough furniture. But none of that troubled him because only one thought was spinning in his mind, making his already pissed-off mood depressed.

_Loki is dead._

* * *

_Thank you guys for the reviews, tasty soulfood has been consumed ( and is still being consumed)with evident greed._

_Thanks for reading, following and favoriting as always, i love you guys for it^^._

_Feel free to leave a review._

_Last not least, big thanks to sinister Banana for beta-ing this one here!_


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: i do not own marvel

** Chapter 16**

The impact of the news that Loki was gone came heavier than expected. On a certain level Tony even felt guilty, because after all had the Avengers not succeeded in capturing the god? Iron Man certainly was part of them. Moreover that chaotic, evil bastard surely did deserve every inch of punishment they could think of. Admittedly, with the exception of Steve, they all had wished him dead at some point. Yet hearing from Thor that Loki was in fact gone and dead had struck a nerve.

Tony found himself hit by that raw hurt on the way back home. A sense of grief had come washing over him. He should _not _feel such empathy for a villain, for the mastermind behind many attacks, and much death and mayhem. Yet he did, and what perhaps struck him more is that Thor had been there. How could a man or god who had defended their sibling for all that it was worth, even when enough deaths had already been dealt, stand by such a punishment? How could Thor even talk about it with such an ease, when it had been only two months ago?

Neither he nor the others had ever caught the big Asgardian telling a lie, not even a small one. The man had always stated the truth, sometimes to the point of being hilarious. So for Tony Stark to doubt those words seemed far-fetched. There was still something hidden though. Thor had definitely not told them all there was to say, and none of them felt like pressing him at that moment. Where was the Black Widow when you needed her the most?

The grey expanse of metal and glass that formed the city in all its glory came into sight. Morning had come and gone before he reached S.H.I.E.L.D., and now it was already time for the sun to start setting, and for all regular people to start on their dinners. And to be fair he had had plenty of good coffee today, but his stomach had yet to be filled.

"Jarvis, is Pepper still at the tower?" If anything Tony wanted food right now. Preferably steak.

"No sir, she left after sir Ladislav woke up. He insinuated that they both should get back to their work, seeing as there is more than enough piling up." Jarvis stated.

Dear God, it had never occurred to him that Locke was equally the workaholic that Pepper had been. He could always find the man working behind his laptop, or with his nose in documents and papers, carrying a frown while studying them. Only in the very beginning had he struggled slightly, only in the very beginning had he not noticed certain traits his assistant had.

"Jarvis, open a comm line between me and the tower." Tony figured he might as well risk it and ask Locke. There was no way that he himself was going to get steak right now.

"Comm line is open sir, but I do suggest waiting. Sir Ladislav is currently attending personal business."

"Oh is he? Now you've made me curious. Can I get a visual of this personal situation?" Personal business sounded way too deliciously private, how could he _not_ want to sneak a peak of what currently went on in the tower?

"I'd rather not give it to you. So no sir you can't get a visual."

"Jarvis, you're not helping here."

"And I don't plan to sir. The comm line is open now." Stark sighed in defeat.

"Highness are you there?"

"What!? Stark how _dare_ you intrude on my...Stark where are you!?" Well at least Locke was awake and himself again.

Tony's curiosity reared its head. "Still having that beauty sleep over there?"

"No, I was merely taking this opportunity to bathe. I felt the need to freshen up." Locke said on the other side of the line, clearly annoyed that he was interrupted from this.

Tony had a good imagination. It was like a second nature to him, like engineering and inventing. Just another perk of being who he is. His imagination was currently working in overdrive, like an unstoppable spinning wheel, granting him a perfect imaginary view of Locke bathing. Still he was betting that the actual sight could easily beat this vision by tenfold, if only for the fact that it would be real. "Well get dressed, I have an important errand for you to run."

"Ah yes, and of course I want to run your important errands now. No _really_ Stark, that was my lifelong dream." Locke's voice dripped sarcasm.

"Wow, somebody is grumpy again. But it doesn't matter. I like it when they're feisty."

"Yes well, state your business Stark." Tony could perfectly envision his tall assistant's eyes rolling with that last comment. Something he came to see as a typical Locke thing. Or rather a typical thing the man did as a reaction to him.

"I want steak. No pizza, burger or anything fried. No, I want a real good, thick, juicy steak. While you're at it, get something for yourself too. I'm sure there's a restaurant nearby that you can coerce into take-out steak. Just give them that irresistible, cold stare of yours. I bet they'll drop to their knees instantly and serve you their best." Tony swore he could feel his stomach rumbling contently at the thought of such food.

A sigh was heard on the other side, a sign of a mind made up. "Just this once Stark, and only because I'm sick of your revolting eating habits."

_Score!_

"You hurt my feelings Locke. I have perfect eating habits." _When it comes to finger food._

"Goodbye Stark." A recognizable sound in the background betrayed that elevator doors had closed.

"Please Jarvis, tell me you have footage." He was already feeling more cheerful now, but the chance of seeing that perfectly shaped backside was not one he would let slip from his fingers.

"No sir, as this was not an emergency, I took the liberty in deciding not to record any visuals in sir Ladislav's room." If Jarvis could smirk he might have done so.

"I'm severely disappointed in you Jarvis. I never raised you to have such morals." _Well at least I still have my imagination._

_He also said goodbye. That's a new first, and I think he even meant it._

In all the long tiresome days they had previously shared, Tony had never gotten a real good morning, good night or goodbye from Locke. Especially the first five or six days when the man was still wearing the cast around his leg. Did Locke know that bit by bit his stoic demeanor was crumbling down? Every now and then the brown haired engineer had caught glimpses of what laid underneath that composed, sometimes spiteful shell the man kept up. So rarely those walls had crumbled down, but sometimes he'd seen it when Locke was working, his face in peaceful concentration. He had seen it burning with a short but unrivaled passion, one that he hoped to meet and match again.

This morning he had seen it on Locke's handsome sleeping visage. How he had wanted to run his hand along that cheek. Trace those slightly pale but soft rose-coloured lips with his finger tip and kiss the other man.

_Shit._

Tony Stark knew he was attracted to his assistant, and that could only mean one thing.

_Pepper knows._

She always knew things, even before he had a chance to discover them for himself. Yet no word about it was spoken this morning, nor did she seem angry or disappointed. The only thing that he could read from her face was the everlasting worry and concern for his safety. She had held that face ever since his return from Afghanistan, where the Ten Rings had kept him confined inside that accursed mountain.

Then it could only mean that she did not care or judge the fact that he was attracted to men. Leave it to Pepper to accept things with such ease. But he still had the feeling that he was going to get a long and probably boring speech from her just so she could be sure he knew what he was doing. Which he didn't. Even for a man with his playboy reputation for flirting and sleeping around with anything that had a nice ass or a decent pair of breasts. Currently he was exploring unknown territory and its finest inhabitant might prove hostile. Although recent signs were pointing in the opposite direction.

After actually accepting it, he had to admit that it was only trading one problem for another, potentially more complicated one.

The tower came into sight, a big bright 'A' already illuminating the slowly darkening sky. It was the only thing that was not fixed yet, a constant reminder of the tumultuous battle that had ravaged in the city's centre. He really should fix it. "Jarvis remind me sometime later that I need to repair the towers sign."

He landed soundless, his boots sliding into place at the raised platform on the balcony, instantly triggering a series of robotic reactions guided by the meticulous AI. The completely normal looking, but well built piece of architecture shifted and moved, giving way to a whole new and different structure. Nothing could ever be considered normal around him, and that also went for the places he lived in. Piece by piece his suit came off, every movement he made carefully calculated, every shift and balance in weight triggering new actions around him. Then he guided his right foot to step on actual concrete, knowing that if he looked behind him, nothing could be seen except a relatively normal stylish balcony. Empty of all the separate parts of the Iron Man suit carefully being stored by the fluid moving robotic arms that had been there mere seconds ago.

"Jarvis, how much longer before Locke gets back?" Tony said while one of the glass doors slid open for him, giving him entrance to the the innards of his home.

"You can expect your dinner in approximately twenty minutes and thirty-six seconds from now." Jarvis said in a more monotone voice than usual.

Tony immediately caught the difference in the vocal tone. You don't spend years talking and having conversations with an AI , and be unable to notice the subtle chances in its demeanor. Tony knew very well that Jarvis was hiding something from him, and that was not an event that happened often. He decided to let it slip for now, and just wait for the result.

"All right, just notify me when I can chow down on my dinner." Tony said before he headed back to the workshop with a fresh cup of coffee in his hand.

* * *

Loki was drifting in the confusing state between dream and consciousness but he refused to open his eyes yet. Sleep was such a comfortable state to reside in. Unfortunately he still he felt his body waking up. He pulled his cold foot back under the blanket, shifting so that he sank deep into the pillows. The horrid thing about waking up slowly is realizing there is nothing you can do to prevent it. Eventually you had to crawl out from under the covers and confines of a comfortable bed.

_This is not my bed._

The thought awoke him instantly, and he concentrated on recognizing his surroundings. He was sleeping on the large sofa in the living room of Stark Tower, covered by a soft, warm blanket. How the hell did he get here?

Slowly but surely he remembered. He had reacted in certain fear and shock. _the Chitauri have returned_. The skies above New York had become unnaturally clouded, and thunder struck. After that was nothing but a vague blur, his human body had shut down on him. A kind of primeval defense mechanism.

With great care he slid the blanket from himself and sat up in the sofa. He combed a hand through his hair while trying to figure out how he got there.

"It's Tony's doing." Said a definitive female voice that sounded familiar to him.

He rubbed his temples before speaking. " Miss Potts."

"You can call me Pepper, you know." She said while offering the just awakened man a glass of cold water. He had changed so much in the past eight or nine days. From the thin, sickly looking drifter, with an unkempt, messy beard, and equally unruly, muddied, long blond hair, into what she saw now. The only thing that had remained the same were those blue eyes.

His hair that used to be long, reaching even over his shoulders, was now cut shorter. Yet it still remained long for a man, resting just above his shoulders and neatly styled into place. The whole beard was gone, which she had not expected. Before with his hairy chin and sideburns, he had looked wild and lost. Now with the scruff gone from his face, he appeared calmer. Attractive even. It wasn't strange to see how Tony was drawn to his assistant. Even to her Locke's face was handsome.

"What happened?" He took the glass of water, feeling grateful to have a drink. Not that he'd say it out loud though. Loki drank it with greed, feeling the need to quench his sudden, desperate thirst.

"I don't know everything. It's probably best if you ask Tony about most of it. When I came here on his call, asking me for help, my first thought was that he's done something stupid again. But actually he called me because was worried for you." She paused in her speech, to give Locke time to let the words sink in. There seemed to be a million things going on inside of the tall, blue-eyed man at this moment.

"When I arrived you were out cold, and comfortably sleeping against Tony." She could not help but let out a soft, genuine laugh.

_I WHAT!_

"Tony could not move an inch because of you, and all the time you were passed out, he sat there. I've never seen him with such patience towards another person. Not even me. I helped him get out, but Tony was the one who carried you to the couch. He even tucked you in." She could not help it, but at that moment she had felt a small pang of jealousy.

_HE WHAT!_

"He basically called me in to see if you were all right when you woke-up. Which in my opinion you are." She already had her handbag, filled with papers and documents, hanging around her shoulder. She smiled and stood up from her seat. " I do need to get back to work now."

"Stark is an idiot. I will make sure this event does _not_ repeat itself." Did that fool Stark have nothing better to do than to disturb people who actually worked hard?

"I'm not arguing with you about him being an idiot at times. However, he was genuinely concerned on your behalf." Her smile turned slightly devilish as a plan formed in her mind. "You owe him a favor Locke." With that she left, as enough had been said today. Still... To think Tony would like men? Never in her life had she expected that one. Furthermore, to think that the one who seemed to carry his favor was as much of a hassle as the irritating genius himself?

_Oh Tony, you are in so much trouble._ She thought to herself, but she really did not even know half of what he had worked himself into.

* * *

The thirst he was feeling had not been quenched by that one glass, so he carried it to the kitchen for a refill. His throat still feeling dry, he welcomed the cool, flowing water. When he opened the fridge, to put the glass in its place, he noticed that Pepper had saved the uneaten sandwiches made by Steve Rogers. He liked the way she had neatly wrapped everything. More often than not Tony would just throw food back into the fridge, not even caring if it was stored properly.

He checked the time, blinking in big red numbers on the microwave and winced. The day had gone by without him. It was already late in the afternoon, or even early in the evening. Yet to him it felt like morning. He was drowsy, sweaty, and feeling annoyed as hell. There was also no coffee in the kitchen greeting him, and that just did not feel right. He was so used to it by now, so used to the fact that Stark made him coffee early in the morning. It was something he had come to be fond of. He enjoyed the coffee and that Stark made it for him each day. It started out as a point to prove in an argument, but it had escalated somehow. There was no longer a point to prove. For some kind of impossible reason, Stark was being considerate towards him. Almost unknowingly he had been accepting this small show of kindness every day, and he had started liking it.

Loki walked back to his room feeling irrationally conflicted with himself about enjoying Stark's coffee. He might not have his dark, hot drink now, but a shower was still a valid option. If you needed to feel awake anyway.

The faucet of the shower was turned on and he adjusted it until the water was lukewarm, mimicking the rain on a hot summer day. He stood there, eyes closed, facing the direction the water flowed from. Unfortunately good things never lasted long.

"Highness, are you there?" Said the voice of Stark.

Loki instantly grabbed a towel and wrapped it his waist, momentarily forgetting to turn off the shower. "What!? Stark how _dare_ you intrude on my...". Loki turned off the shower, and cast a quick glance around the bathroom. He let out a deep breath of relief, although his heart was still racing. He was still alone."Stark, where are you!?"

"Still having that beauty sleep over there?"

"No I was merely taking this opportunity to bathe. I felt the need to freshen up." _By the Nine, Loki you oaf! Why did you tell him the truth? You do not need Stark using _his_ imagination to invade your private spaces! _He knew what the contemplative silence on the other side of the line meant. Stark's brain was running wild. Probably concocting up indecent images of him using the shower. Even the both of them together, if he had half the chance. _Loki, stop using your brain like those insects!_

For just a millisecond, he had done the same.

"Well get dressed. I have an important errand for you to run." Said the disembodied voice of Stark. He could almost hear the man smirking at his thoughts.

With haste and a disturbing feeling that seemed suspiciously like guilt, he got dressed, not even bothering with fresh garments. "Ah yes, and of course I want to run your important errands now. No _really_ Stark, that was my lifelong dream."

"Wow, somebody is grumpy again. But it doesn't matter, I like it when they're feisty."

_You and me both Stark._

Loki mentally punished himself for that last thought running in his mind. Ever since that kiss he felt so on edge. He felt...well mostly he felt ashamed and guilty. Yet sometimes his blood felt awfully warm when he saw or thought of his infuriating employer. It was not a thing he wanted to face, so he hid it whenever he could.

"Yes well, state your business Stark." He snapped.

"I want steak. No pizza, burger or anything fried, no I want a real good, thick, juicy steak. While you're at it, get something for yourself too. I'm sure there's a restaurant nearby that you can coerce into take-out steak. Just give them that irresistible cold stare of yours. I bet they'll drop to their knees instantly and serve you their best."

Loki recalled Peppers words. He owed Stark. Since he had the feeling that the man was aggravatingly determined on having his dinner, he decided that giving in would be his best option. He sighed. "Just this once Stark, and only because I'm sick of your revolting eating habits." That and he wanted to have a decent non greasy meal. He was sick of the way Midgardians ate. The only person with decent taste he had met so far had turned out to be Captain America.

"You hurt my feelings Locke, I have perfect eating habits."

Loki rolled his eyes at that. "Goodbye Stark."

As he left the penthouse, he heard a familiar voice speak up while he waiting inside the elevator.

"Sir, the communication line to sir Stark has been cut off. Might I suggest ignoring his tip on asking a fancy restaurant for take-away?" Said the calm, steady voice of Jarvis, echoing through a speaker in the right corner of the elevator.

"I was planning on ignoring that as well. His ideas can be quite childish for a grown man. No sane person would demand that from a decent restaurant." _Except Stark of course._ "What do you suggest Jarvis?"

Before Jarvis could speak his thoughts, the doors of the private elevator opened into the lobby of Stark Tower. He grabbed his phone and brought it to his ear to carry on the conversation he was having with the AI. With just a touch of a button he connected again, hearing Jarvis answer the moment the cellular device hit his ears.

"Well sir, I believe that there is still a grocery store open not to far from here. I've already made arrangements for a driver."

* * *

Tony had been busy for only twenty minutes, and already he had managed to get oil smears on his hands, arms and face. Not to mention the fact that he was working up a good sweat. Creative geniuses like him don't need to go to a gym. The perfect mixture of coffee, creativity and a high I.Q. made sure that there was hard work to do in every hour of the day or night. There were always improvements to be made, new suit designs to work on. Not to mention that he had a whole arrangement of new ideas popping up in his head at any given time.

Right now he was modifying the carcass of his old sports car. The self sustaining engine was already done. The car would be able to run at maximum speed for days and not weaken, the wheels spinning on and on. The whole thing itself could probably be used as a backup generator as well. You never knew when you needed one of those. Currently he was welding one of the larger frames. Large goggles on his head and typical AC/DC blaring loud through the speakers of the workshop. He was lying on the ground in a rather uncomfortable position, just to get to the right framework.

Dummy was anxiously standing by near the carcass, carrying a fire-extinguisher as if his life depended on it.

"Sir, dinner will be ready in approximately one minute and fourteen seconds."

Tony turned off the welder, the flame snuffing out instantly. From the corner of his eye he saw Dummy standing dangerously close and holding a familiar object in its metal hand. "No Dummy, no. Be a good boy and put it down. No, just _put it down_." He coaxed the robot worker to put it down, before raising his voice in a more serious yet still affectionate tone. "Now go and stand in the corner, I already told you that I'm not going to burst into flames while welding."

The robot let out a defiant sound, before lowering its arm. Then it turned around, almost dignified, and went to its corner where it huffed and made a small noise of annoyance.

"Good boy." Tony took off his goggles and placed them on his workbench, next to the cars engine. He looked like a mess with his hair sticking out in odd places and oil and grease spots all over his skin. It generally didn't bother him. It being the price you paid for working hard. There was no way in hell was he going to clean up for a piece of steak in his own damn kitchen.

A mouth watering and wonderfully aromatic smell greeted him as soon as he reached the vicinity of the kitchen. The kind of fragrance that made one salivate and savour each breath like you could taste it just from smelling it. Whatever restaurant Locke had raided, his assistant could be sure that he would find himself returning there for more. Assuming of course that the taste of his steak was just as perfect as that alluring smell. Tony's steps brought him to the open doorway of the kitchen and he just could not believe what he saw once he focused. It had to be an illusion, or some coffee induced hallucination. How many cups did he drink today?

Locke was _cooking._ No, not just cooking. He was probably preparing one of the best steaks ever, if the smell was an accurate indication. His assistant had a fork in his right hand, and his elegant chin was cradled in the other while his elbow rested on the kitchen counter. The sound of sizzling hot meat came from a pan on the stove. There was a bowl of potato salad in the vicinity, and a plate with sliced tomatoes, cucumber and other healthy shit Tony would never eat. What made the scene even more surreal was that Locke was wearing an apron.

Tony decided to break the silence,mostly because he was feeling ravenous by now. Certainly not because of seeing Locke lost in thought while wearing an apron. He could have stared at that absurd, yet endearingly cute scenery longer otherwise. "You are cooking? When did you even? No wait, never mind what I said. Sometimes words just stream out. So yeah cooking, nice." He babbled rather awkwardly.

Loki had not heard a sound, so the sudden voice of Tony Stark had startled him. Almost resulting in him dropping the fork he had been holding. He quickly regained his composure and turned around. "Yes I am, Stark. I was told that you..." _Tucked me into bed after I..?_ "handled my sudden shock with care by Miss Potts. She recommended that I should return the favour."

_I owe Pepper for this, and she knows it._

The smug engineer left the doorway and stepped closer to Locke. "So you are thanking me? You are a real sweetheart, Highness."

Loki narrowed his eyes at this, and shot a glare in Stark's direction, who was too close for the taller man's comfort. He strengthened the hold on his fork, and tapped the place where the engineer's heart should have been. The high sound of metal on metal tinkled softly. "I am merely settling a debt, nothing more."

Every single detail of Locke's movements made Tony think about the God who had passed on. From the glare, to the eerily similar way that the other man had tapped his arc reactor. Locke's expression shifted and he turned around, pricking his fork in one of the juicy steaks on the stove. Soon a filled plate was shoved into his hands, and the only look on his assistant's face was one of loose disinterest.

"Enjoy your dinner Stark."Loki held his best serious visage, while the shorter man in front of him was smiling.

"What? Are you not eating? Just grab your plate and join me." Tony saw the hesitation flickering in those blue eyes of Locke's, meaning that he was actually contemplating it. His assistant just needed one more small push in the right direction. "I promise I'll behave."

It would not be that bad having company, even if that certain companion was Stark. After all he was still repaying the favour, right? "All right I will." Loki gave in and prepared a serving of his own and headed off to the dining table.

Even though Stark had left the kitchen before him, he was still the first at the table. The other man was going through the insides of the bar, carefully choosing his liquor for the evening. A head of disheveled brown hair shot a look his way.

"Do you want a drink?" Tony asked, again feeling a sense of deja vu regarding the green eyed god. But he shook it off. He probably had a thing for tall, lean-muscled men that could stare wickedly, and look absolutely gorgeous doing so.

"Your offer is appreciated but useless. I do not like to indulge myself in the drinking of spirits." Loki stared at his dinner. There was no use in letting his hard work grow cold. Stark had managed to find a suitable drink for himself and took his seat at the dining table across him, contemplating his own plate with a studied eye. Loki's gaze shifted to the other man, who looked so different, yet more real than usual. Stark was generally well dressed even on his worst days, his hair impeccably styled, even his casual clothing seemed to be chosen with care. However, right now he was anything but. His hair was in messy disarray. His face and arms were grimy from shop work. Even the black wife beater Stark was wearing was grubby and unkempt. His eyes shot to the genius' chest where a blue glow betrayed what lied beneath. Loki found himself appreciating certain features Stark had. They made him want something he had denied himself for a long time.

Tony looked up after finishing his dinner, and found blue eyes starring back at his own. _Is Locke checking me out?_ The corner of his mouth lifted in a half smile towards the other man, and he noticed Locke's eyes darting back to his empty plate. "You know, that was unexpected talent on my plate here. I might need to tuck you into bed more often, if I get this in return." The small swell of red on Locke's face did not escape his eye. His assistant was blushing faintly. It told him all he needed to know.

_I am, indeed being checked out._

Instead of trying to formulate a reply to Stark's words,he just grabbed his empty plate and stood up. He snatched the other man's plate before he could protest against it. Out of all the different situations Loki had gone through after he was stripped of his powers and cast out. Out of all those raging, very human emotions and feelings dwelling inside him, attraction was the worst. Human anger he could deal with, it was fast and hateful, but burned up so fast. Fear or sadness lasted longer, but you could ignore them until eventually they faded. The helplessness and weakness he felt in the beginning was almost gone, because even like this he was a formidable man.

Despite his vehement denial however, the attraction he felt towards a once loathed enemy only grew. Born in lust and awakened by a heated kiss. Perhaps it had been there longer, lying dormant in the far corners of his mind. During the day, and sometimes the night, it came crawling to the surface and pierced his heart like an unforgiving needle. Out of all these different, new and infuriating emotions he felt, attraction refused to be ignored and pushed aside.

The sound of a chair being pulled aside followed with footsteps coming closer, made it clear that Stark had decided to pursue him. Loki abandoned the plates in the sink instead of placing them in the dishwasher, like he normally would have done. He just wanted to get out of the kitchen, and back to a place with more space between himself and Tony Stark. A familiar and unwelcome figure in the doorway withheld him from any of the above.

"You were checking me out." Tony said in a sure, even challenging voice. The hint of a smile still playing on the corners of his lips.

Loki sighed and rolled his eyes. "Your imagination is getting the better of you Stark, now let me pass." He sincerely hoped that the shorter man would give up his antics.

"No, I want an answer. Don't think for a second that I didn't notice. Things like that never pass me by." Tony kept the doorway occupied on purpose. He knew that Locke wanted to slink away again. But he'd be damned if he would let that happen without a struggle. He took a step forward, knowing he would be intruding on the other man's comfort zone. He gazed directly into Locke's shining blue depths." You were checking me out back there, weren't you?"

Those intense brown eyes cut into him, implying something dangerous. A hot shiver running up Loki's spine told him to _get out now_. " I was merely observing, hoping you were finished."

"Oh, no. Don't give me that bullshit." He recognized a change in his assistant, his resolve finally dissolving." I know what I saw. You blushed, and you want me." Tony said with a flirtatious lilt to his voice.

"Stark, I firmly believe that the one doing the "checking out" is _you_." By the Nine, the man was testing his patience. Right now Loki wanted to punch him in the face, equally as much as his want to ravish the infuriating man. "Now I will not say it again... _Get out of my way_."

"Haven't you learned by now that I always get what I..." There was more to say, but being grabbed by the collar of your shirt kind of blocked those things.

Loki had his hand full of black fabric, and a grinning Tony looking up at him. "No Stark, you want _me_." He proceeded to draw the aggravating engineer in, hauling the man closer to himself. "You want me _so_ badly that you are letting yourself dwell in these illusions." The smug grin on the other's face faded. "Convincing yourself that _I_ have a want for you as well." Slowly Loki bent his head, letting his lips hover a fraction of an inch above his squirming employer. "Well I have news for you Stark." His voice turned into liquid velvet as he brought his lips to the other man's ear and whispered. "Perhaps if you kneeled down and _begged me for it_. Then I would consider giving you a reply."

Tony was a sweaty crumpled mess in his hands, in no position to do anything more than pant desperately. Even if the other man had a will to fight back now, those brown eyes told Loki that for now he was helpless to do so. With that, he released his grasp on Tony, turned around and walked off with a certain determination in his footsteps to avoid the appearance of fleeing. He had not even realized yet that he was beginning to refer to the idiot as Tony instead of Stark.

Tony opened his eyes again after feeling the strong grip let go. His blood surged through his body, gathering in one point only.

_Damn that was... So hot._

He would probably have let himself fall on his knees if Locke had remained a second longer.

* * *

Thank you guys for taking time to read this story, and of course for following or favoriting it.

Feel free to leave a review, i use them as power snacks.

Huge amount of thanks to my beta for this chapter, Wampus Dragon.


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: don't own marvel.

Chapter 17

The next morning everything returned to its normal routine. Well, as far as "normal" could be used to describe living in the heights of Stark Tower. Fresh coffee was brewed in the very early morning hours by Tony, who was still working in his lab. Even if he wished for sleep, the amount of coffee he'd drunk the day before would not let him, nor would his own excitement settle and decrease long enough for him to feel remotely tranquil. So he continued to work during the long hours of the night, only taking a break at five in the morning to make a fresh batch of the dark, caffeinated liquid.

Work had been wonderful that night, being fuelled by caffeine, a decent meal in his stomach, and a feeling of smug happiness. It made him feel energized enough to work without being interrupted by the sandman. All the fragments of the car's sturdy framework were complete. The only thing left to do was assemble them together into one strong whole. He had fitted the engine in the front part, and as expected it fit absolutely immaculately. As he glanced at the blueprints floating around him, suspended in mid-air, nothing but a nod of contentment could be given. What he had designed would be sleek and stream-lined; it would attain mind boggling speed in the blink of an eye. Unlike any other expensive or rare sports car out there, it could go on and on without slurping a devastating amount of fuel. It was going to be deadly silent on the road while running on clean energy.

Pepper was going to love this idea. Not the sports car, but the idea behind it. Of course she held no love for him driving in it while being in a drunken stupor, and looking back on event he agreed with her. But speed had never been an issue for him, rather it was his curse. He loved speed.

"Jarvis, are you ready to move the parts?" Tony asked while a heavy-duty robotic arm carefully removed the engine from its fitting.

"Yes, sir. All parts will be transported downstairs. Arrival and estimated assembly time is approximately one hour and forty-two minutes," announced the ethereal voice of Jarvis with a barely discernible tone of vexation in its voice.

Of course that caught the creator's attention. "Something wrong there, Jarvis?"

"For once I would like you to think through your ideas, sir. Transporting them in a service elevator is not ideal." Jarvis knew he was correct on this matter. How could he not be? Stark should know this knowledge as well and somewhere deep down inside the man lain in agreement. Given time, Jarvis had learned that humans, especially Stark, never did things in the most practical way. It was as if their adept mind was so stuffed with ideas and various thought processes that they could not see the simple and logical solutions in life.

Tony shrugged the comment off and took his empty mug. "Close down after me, Jarvis. I'm off for breakfast."

"Only breakfast, sir?" echoed Jarvis, who was currently saving all opened files and guiding the car parts downstairs with utmost precision.

"Of course I'm only going for breakfast. Why would you think otherwise?" replied the brown-haired engineer with a grin, knowing exactly what the A.I. wished to convey.

Tony entered the spacious open living room at precisely the same time a certain tall blonde figure walked in wearing a dark bathrobe. Locke looked well rested with no dark circles beneath his eyes. His sandy-haired locks lay in a messy disorderly fashion, betraying the fact that he'd stepped out of bed only moments ago. However, the man's facial expression was different than normal. It looked less like a woman suffering from bad PMS.

"Had a good night's rest, your Highness?" Tony queried.

Locke's sleep-filled eyes glanced lazily towards the familiar voice, but before he could formulate an answer a yawn surfaced, one that he tried unsuccessfully to block from view with his left hand. Slowly, he opened his closed eyes, finally finding his mouth willing to talk. "Yes, I did," he finally answered.

Step by step he moved to the kitchen where upon arrival he opened the fridge, now filled with a variety of products. He took out a plate of left-over sandwiches from the previous day, intent on not letting these carefully made treats go to waste. Slowly he shuffled over to the dining table while placing the half-filled sandwich tray on the counter. As he pulled a chair out and sat down, a calloused hand held out a mug of warm coffee with milk, its aroma tingling his sense of smell.

Tony watched long slender fingers curl around the coffee mug and taking it out of his hold. His dozy assistant smelled the fumes curling upwards from the hot beverage before bringing it to his lips for a much-needed drink. Tony felt like he should say something…like good morning, or something remotely similar. But he could not bring himself to break the unusually peaceful morning silence between them. Looking at the unruly blonde hair of his assistant, Tony opted for the next best thing. Gently placing his hand on the other man's head, he ruffled the soft irresistible locks.

Unexpectedly Loki leaned into the comforting touch and sighed. As sudden as its unexpected but welcomed arrival had occurred, the hand left in a flash. Through half-shut eyes he saw Stark quickly grab one of the sandwiches from the tray before taking a seat as well. Gradually the course of his own reactions oozed into his mind. Loki all but fully blamed the motion on his half-awake state.

The tall ex-god of mischief and lies was the first to break the silence. "I have sent the corresponding documents along with your answer miss Potts. She was pleasantly surprised by your choice."

Tony remembered the files he'd been given with three options to choose from. He'd carefully looked over them all, comparing their worth for his company, the publicity they would be given, and any personal merit he might have in each option. Everyone wanted his attention for their own gain. Pepper had always carefully arranged each benefit, dinner, or opening night without his input. Locke had done similar by sorting out the worst of the worst and removing all bad choices. The difference between Locke and Pepper though was that, at the end, Locke had given Tony three files. He'd given Tony a choice. And well, that was a new experience for the genius.

The first option had been a benefit held at the Museum of Natural History. The raised cash would be used to fund an expedition to some dreadfully uninteresting place he'd never heard of in his life. The evening would be irritatingly boring and filled with meaningless talk and idle chit-chat.

The second was a conference about the impact of machinery on the environment. They would have him stand in the spotlight to give a meaningless, empty introduction speech. This no doubt would have been Pepper's choice.

So naturally it was not Tony's.

He chose the third option for a very simple, silly little reason. "Kids are fun. That's why I chose the children's hospital. At least they still know how to have fun unlike the rest of the adult world which is filled with a bunch of boring idiots."

"Well, Stark, for once I agree."

Tony cocked an eyebrow. "That kids are fun?"

"No, that people are stupid," answered Loki. His pale face carried a stoic expression like nothing really mattered. A snort escaped from Stark's mouth, followed by a smile and a genuine laugh. Loki could not help feeling rather amused himself.

"Alright, I'm glad we agree." Tony did not want to ruin their good mood except that he had no other option. "Right now I have other pressing matters for you to deal with." His tall assistant had a half-smile playing on his beautiful lips that quickly faded at Tony's upcoming news. "Steve and Bruce are coming over tomorrow; it's an Avenger's national security sort of thing. They are staying here so I need you to arrange rooms for them downstairs. Since there is a lack of furniture…" Tony stopped the waterfall of words streaming out his mouth and looked to Locke, hoping for a sign of positive reaction.

The smile that had been playing on the blonde man's face earlier had completely left him. "Only Steve Rogers and Bruce Banner?" he asked with clear discomfort.

"Well, Thor is off with his scientist girlfriend for now and who knows where Legolas and Natasha are. I've designated a room for each of them when they eventually arrive. I also took the opportunity of having Jarvis sort out their personal preferences so that all you need to know is already on your laptop."

Loki felt a twitch forming in the corner of his eye, one obtained by pure aggravating annoyance. Heimdall was watching this. No doubt he and the other "gods" of Asgard were currently laughing at Loki and his fate. God of chaos, mischief, and lies reduced to this? He could do nothing to prevent the other Avengers from living here, and even worse was the fact that he would be made to live with Thor again. "Very well. It's not like I have a choice in the matter."

Tony honestly felt surprised about his assistant's answer. For reasons unknown he'd expected a verbal tug of war from the man over this "invasion of privacy."

"Ok, glad that's out of the way," Stark said as he hesitantly rose from his chair. A part of Tony wanted to stay and keep Locke company. Another part told him that this was an unwise choice and he should opt for getting the hell out. Eyeing the stiff, darkening look on his assistant's face, Tony made the right choice and stood up. Yet he could not help the rush of guilt travelling through his body and he thought a small gesture of kindness might be appropriate.

"I'm going back to work. If you need anything, ask Jarvis." Big blue orbs stared at him with ruthless beauty and hot anger. "Locke?" Tony questioned.

Warm, deep-brown eyes focused on the taller man. Stark knew very well that he was the reason behind the shift in Loki's demeanour. Yet his usually uninhibited and furious anger stayed at bay. Loki no longer had the will to feel such violent emotions. He'd always known that sooner or later he would have to come face to face with the other Avengers eventually…and with Thor. It just happened to be sooner rather than the later he'd hoped for. This could even be seen as his own fault. His failure had led the Chitauri to scouting the nine realms. His failure had led those filthy creatures to Midgard and they were utterly persistent in their chase.

Loki's mood spiraled downward rapidly, yet he still gave a reply. "What is it, Stark?"

With this response an ominous grin grew on the engineer's face. It was a familiar, teasing, and devilish emotion that Loki knew all too well.

Tony saw the recognition dawn on Locke's face. "Honestly, I just wanted to give you a really good morning."

Had Stark not already wished him a pleasant morning and day, even greeting him as he did so while decimating anything "good" about the upcoming day after their shared meal? Loki's eyebrow arched. He saw no way for the other man to redeem himself after his god awful news. Creating a second pleasing start was not an option according to Loki's calculations. Yet those glinting brown orbs stared intensely at him, telling him otherwise while crossing the distance between them.

God, Tony loved seeing the emotions play out in Locke's blue eyes and witnessing all the thought flickering to life within them. Those orbs tried utmost best at conveying an urgent message to the before it had any chance to reach its destination, Tony gave his reply. "With a kiss."

His assistant's instant reaction was priceless. Jarvis had better save this footage because Tony would pay a small fortune for the opportunity to watch it on replay if only for one time.

Loki's eyes widened in sudden realization and his expression was reminiscent of a deer staring into the headlights of upcoming truck. The taller man skittishly looked around for an escape. But there was none and he was already plastered against the backside of the chair, pinned in place between Stark's arms. He looked like a dangerous animal in confinement realizing there was no escape possible from where this situation was heading. As much as Loki wanted to hurt the brown-haired engineer, his body did not appear against this idea. Rather it craved it. Loki turned his head to face Stark, vicious, defiant, blue eyes looking up and catching the other man in their enthralling gaze. For the second time in that tumultuous week, a kiss was placed upon him.

Oh, those lips that caught him. They were so soft and demanding, sending an alarming shiver up through his spine and stirring up long forgotten or ignored parts deep within him again. The friction of those lips locked in battle was dreadfully delicious. A rough calloused hand caressed the curve of his long, pale neck and settled itself on the back of his head, nestling between his golden locks. That hand pulled him closer and closer, urging him to give in to his desires.

That touch sent him sailing with a frightening want and a need for heated touches and affection. Swept away by his raised feelings combined with the teasing of a slick, skilled tongue begging for entrance, Loki caved, granting the demanding appendage what it wanted and giving into something he wanted as well.

He noted that Anthony Stark tasted bittersweet like his coffee. Their tongues met in an all-devouring havoc. Those warm brown eyes were now filled to the brim with lust, yet Loki felt that the other man was withholding. It was something he could not agree with for no man should withhold anything from a god. As Stark tried to pull away, reaching out for a breath of fresh air, Loki's teeth caught his bottom lip and pale fingers clutched messy brown hair, making the other gasp out in a hiss. He nibbled on the man's reddened, kiss-worthy lips as his blood slowly set its course towards nether regions.

Tony was lost as his plan began failing. Where had this gorgeous, poisonous man been hiding all his life? A hot hungry mess of teeth and tongue trailed down his neck while surprisingly strong hands pulled hard but carefully on his hair. Still set on his course of action, Tony planted a knee against Locke's chair, sliding it forward slowly.

Loki was fully aware of everything he did to the other man. His lust was like a blaze inside him. His want burned for something he had not had in a long time, growing steadily every second. For now there were no regrets as he bathed in the sensation that was his current priority. He found a soft, clean spot on Stark's neck; one not sullied by motor oil or sweat—a tiny pure spot on the otherwise sweaty, panting man in front of him. So he bit down, sucking on the skin to leave a fierce mark. Loki looked back up in time to notice a smug grin on Antony Stark's face, alerting him to the fact that something was not going the way _he_ wanted it.

Tony caught those blue eyes filled to the brim with a delirious glare. Just a nudge more and his knee was where he needed it to be. Locke was still pinned to the chair underneath one of his arms, a bewildered mess to behold. That final nudge came along with a grin knowing that Tony now held the upper hand.

Loki's head lolled back at the sudden pressure on his groin. Instantly his hands released their hold. Eyelids fluttered at the aggravating strain and his mouth opened in a silent moan. The tides had turned and he no longer held the upper hand.

"Oops, look at the time. I really should be working now. Sorry." Knee and arm removed themselves from the chair, leaving Locke staring with half-lidded and confused eyes.

"What?" Loki managed to stumble out between erratic breaths.

"You better get back to work too. There's still a lot to do." With that Tony turned and headed to the garage, knowing full well that there was a shitload of work to take his mind off Locke…for now. Twice his assistant had left him longing for more. First with a hot, passionate kiss and second with a desire-laced, velvet voice. Never before had a well-articulated sentence sounded so seductive. This was supposed to be Tony's sweet, long-awaited revenge. But it did not go entirely as expected.

Walking away was not the only hard thing.

* * *

Thank you lovely readers for taking time to read this story, i know that you guys are always patiently waiting for update's.

Feel free to leave a review, as always those things are brain-food.

And last but not least big thanks to sinister banana for being the beta!


	18. Chapter 18

disclaimer: i do not own marvel

This is where the M rating kicks in, so don't like slash don't read it.

**Chapter 18**

There were countless instances in which Loki's life could have been described as bad. Not to mention devastating, excruciating and of course, horrible. He had lived for ages in the shadows of others. Their eyes betraying the surging hate they felt towards him. Hate that was poorly hidden under a thin layer of false kindness, ever so visible to the God of Lies. He had been tormented, haunted and punished, sometimes for days or weeks. Every now and then for mere, despairing seconds that seemed to last for ages.

Never before had any torture he endured tasted so sweet as this maddening heat. It lay on the surface of his being, veiled and waiting, prowling until appropriate prey came into its sights. So that it could launch a devastating assault upon the body, letting one know who truly had control. Lust was _not_ to be tampered with, let that be known. Once it had its cruelly, beautiful sights set on someone, it refused to be removed from the dark corridors of the mind. Not until it had had its wanton way, with the spoils it's sights were set on claiming.

Loki feared this all-consuming want. He loathed the slow but obvious desire spreading its way inside him. He wanted to cover his ears and close his eyes, to hide from its beckoning voice and sight. Yet at the same time he craved it, needing it to take over his body. If only to tell himself the hopeless lie that it was not really his doing.

That lust was to blame for the desire he felt for Anthony Stark.

This thought had been haunting the limits of sanity all day long. It interfered with the efficiency in which he normally worked, reducing his ancient, knowledge-filled brain to a mere shadow. A warm puddle of grey matter and nothing more. It was wondrous that he had managed to get all of his work done, and on time in spite of everything. Especially given the fact that he was arranging furnished rooms for people who had been hunting him since they day he set foot on Midgard. Enemies of the former number one threat to the nation. The heroes that "saved" Midgard from his rule.

Yet here he sat staring at perfectly arranged floor plans, printed out so that the movers knew where to assemble and place the furniture. At least he did not have to share a bedroom on this floor with any of them. He had made sure of that. There was no lack of space in the top floors of Stark Tower. Each of those supposed heroes had their own spot. One floor below this, near the gym that was installed half a year ago, were the rooms designated to Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton.

There was a small, often unused lab on the floor below. It needed no saying that it was going to be fully equipped by the end of tomorrow. Anything for one of Stark's best "science" buddies, who was nothing but a mindless, uncontrollable beast if angered. Bruce Banner shared that floor with Thor, who's room had conveniently placed windows that could slide open like doors. If one considered the settings of these rooms, looking at their arrangements and the well thought out plans for their placement. It was as if Stark had deliberately rebuilt them just to suit the needs of each Avenger.

If this was true, then Loki had been doomed since the day he signed the contract with Pepper.

Living this one human life, a mere breath of air compared to the otherwise endless ages. A slow death-sentence of growing older and wasting away, could prove to be harder than immortality. All these emotions eating and clawing at his heart, striving for attention. They left him stranded, confused, like a new born babe experiencing the world for a first time. None of these over-active human feelings had left him as devastated as the pure relentlessness of craving for touch. To feel bare skin tremble beneath the palms of his hand. To make it shiver in utter delight. To have another being scream his name loudly in the throes of passion. Loki envisioned warm, brown eyes looking up at him, an expression of ecstasy in them, begging for release. What a horribly wonderful mistress imagination was. Giving you what you most hated, only to make you need it more each passing day. To think that these Midgardians lived with it, a thing so utterly normal they never considered it cruel. Loki clenched his fists together in tangible frustration, torn between his brain and his body telling him completely different things. It had been so long ago that somebody wanted him or even _looked_ at him with something in their eyes other than pity or hate. It had been even longer ago that Loki himself had wanted another, looking at a man or women with hot embers in his eyes. Now that he did once more it left him bereft of all senses but one.

Loki had been in his bed early, willing himself to sleep. Tossing and turning in discomfort as these thoughts racing in his mind. Sleep too distant to actually catch. He had not seen Stark around dinner time. The man had been oddly absent ever since that morning. Could the engineer possibly regret his course of action? No, that was out of the question, the heated look in those brown eyes told Loki otherwise. Then what was it? Why had he not seen Stark all day?

_Why am I even asking myself this? Loki you fool, when did you fall to such depths?_

He wanted to forget and dull his heightened senses. The ex-deity rose from his bed, pacing around in his room like a caged animal, before he ultimately decided to trade the expanses of his quarters for the living room. If he was to be stuck on this forsaken place as a Midgardian, living out his small breath of life. Then he might as well choose the Earth way of getting over everything around him. Loki had never gotten his offered drink. So he figured he might as well take it now.

"Sir, it seems that dinner was prepared?"

A loud clang of metal on metal resounded, Tony did not even look up from his work. "Not now Jarvis, I'm on a roll." The stubborn engineer was so engrossed in his work that hunger had not even touched his fully occupied brain for a second. Only incessant creativity combined with passionate brilliance filled him now. His only option was to lose himself in work, or possibly explode. So Jarvis' first call was ignored.

The second call was almost not ignored.

"Sir, you have gone without food for over twelve hours. It's past ten, and you need to replenish." Called out Jarvis, sounding almost like a grumpy old man.

Tony considered it. He certainly was hungry enough to eat a horse. But he would have to eat alone, something he really did not look forward to anymore. Knowing how Locke liked his sleep, the other man would have retired to his own room by now. Probably still in a state of perplexed anger, confusion or want. More likely in a dangerous mix of all three. He had loved seeing that deliriously yearning look on the man's face this morning. His daydreams held no comparison to reality at all. This is how Tony came to decide that for now he would vent out his frustration by working. He would crash down sooner or later when his body could go on no longer.

The third call could not be ignored. It was so utterly confusing that at first he could nothing but blink in disbelief.

"Sir, Locke has opened your Macallan Single Malt Whiskey."

_Am I hearing this wrong? _"Could you repeat that Jarvis?"

"I need to correct myself?"

"You can't be wrong Jarvis, you're never wrong." Tony said mildly perplexed, yet still highly interested in the AI's words.

"How kind of you to tell me I am never wrong. This has been recorded for future use."

"Just tell me what is going on up there?" Tony had already crept out from under the car's frame. Removing the safety goggles and storing the large welder, if tossing it somewhere on the table could be called storing.

"Currently Locke is drinking your Macallan Single Malt Whiskey. The one that is over sixty years old."

Well I'll be damned, the man actually drinks... _Wait a minute?_ " You mean to tell me, that for no apparent reason at all. Locke has opened one of the most rare whiskys in the world. Not to mention expensive. Not that I _care_ about expensive but... This I have to see." With that, all ideas of work were thrown out the window. Because for the love of God, he could not imagine Locke drinking. It was as absurd as Locke smiling with joy. Which he almost had done. Once.

It was darker than normal, the dimmed lights only illuminated the base contours of the spacious living room, casting heavy shadows. The city's shine came brightly through the windows, providing enough light to see his assistant's brooding figure standing beside the bar. Tony's nearing presence was not acknowledged. Locke just stood there with an already empty glass. Just a few drops on the edge betraying it had been full just short moments ago.

Tony grabbed a heavy tumbler from the cabinet for himself, deciding that they both should enjoy this luxurious drink. Also that the man ignoring him so fervently could use another shot of the rich, honey colored liquid.

Tony never asked. He just refilled his assistant's drink without a word coming from his normally rather loud mouth. A head sporting disheveled bed hair turned around, almost dark-blue eyes looking at him. Glazed over with the same emotion they had emitted this morning, only strengthened by the quickly emptied glass of alcohol. "Thought you could use another."

He was wrong. He rarely was wrong. But still he was now. This drink had done nothing for him. Loki had seen men laugh and express childlike joy because of these poisonous liquids. He had seen them forget each domain in the nine realms. Some merely grew tired and fell asleep. All forgot their troubles for a moment. Perhaps it was always him that was meant to be the unlucky one. The newly filled glass was emptied with eagerness, the golden drink burning slowly down his throat. Loki waited patiently but nothing happened until he turned around to face the illuminated city scape.

His feet were unwilling, and his vision was clouded over. He caught himself on the edge of the bar in his dizziness. Now he understood why Volstagg always ended up falling from his chair after a enough pints of mead. This whiskey was strong and heavy in flavor, more than the mead they drank on daily basis, mead he never drank because it muddied the senses. A familiar sound announced the worst possible outcome for this evening. Anthony Stark had decided to show up.

His brain soon started replaying the scene of that morning, ever so slow and excruciatingly clear. Touches were felt as if they were happening this instant, mixing dangerously with the alcohol burning a pathway through his body. His thoughts about inebriation had been wrong because his pain wasn't reduced to a dull ache in the background as it should have been. Everything felt more and more alive right now. It was exiting, thrilling and uncontrollable. It scared the _hell_ out of him to feel it and he still longed for more. Just thinking was no longer enough. Glass was tinkling softly, more of the whiskey was being poured. Even though he had not asked for it, his drink was full again.

Loki's head turned and his hungry, blue eyes slowly covered each and every inch of the Anthony Stark's form, before settling on those autumn brown eyes. Resolve was settling and had taken root deep down inside him. If he was to be doomed, then he might as well have his ending sweet and covered in sweat.

"Thought you could use another..." Tony looked at the shadows playing on Locke's face. They made it seem more angular, regal even. If he did not know with absolute certainty that this man in front of him was real and very much human, then he might have made the mistake of calling him Loki. But these eyes were blue, and those shadows only played tricks with the things he wanted.

Loki brought the cold glass to his lips, reducing the refilled drink by a substantial portion. Tony was close. Close enough for Loki to let the other man's scent fill his nostrils. Oil, coffee, sweat and a hint of musk, drawing him towards the edge. "Do me one favor, Anthony Stark." Loki said, moving in with an excruciatingly slow pace, moistening his bottom lip with a slip of his tongue before he spoke once again. He knew that he held the undivided attention of his employer now. "Remember in the morning that I still hate you."

Tony had no response. He gave no promise. He did not manage to utter a single word. A hungry, skilled mouth covered his in desperate abandon. He knew that every touch, sound, smell or taste would be worth engraving in his mind. Two strong hands roamed to his hips, pushing him against the bar. While a fierce tongue demanded entrance to the wet cavern of his mouth. Tony gave in so easily, letting Locke raid his mouth like a starved man, drawing a low moan from him.

That rough sound vibrated through their bodies sending shudders to their core. Loki discovered he liked the taste of the infuriating bastard that was Tony Stark, who was giving himself over to his assistant as if it was the most natural thing. His trickster tongue now played a torturous game, twisting and turning relentlessly. Not giving the other a chance of mercy, or a shot at fighting back. The calloused hand of a worker slid around his neck, clawing at his hair in feral pleasure. Loki squeezed the the other man's waist at this, stifling a groan of his own.

Loki pulled back from Tony's wanton mouth, slowly sucking the engineers tongue as he left. His pale hands sneaked up, lifting the edges of the oil-smeared wife beater that Stark was wearing. The other man shivered at the caress of his cold hands. The night's air brushed Tony's naked flesh as the shirt was lifted over his head and thrown uncaring to the side. That same venomous mouth that had been toying with Tony's own was now kissing and sucking the expanse of his neck. One hand was now placed on his back, the other trailing a curious finger along the edges of the arc reactor.

Movements had made the robe Loki was wearing come undone, revealing parts of his pale, sculpted chest. Tony let his free hand move to pull on the binding that was holding the garment together, letting it fall open. The engineer let his lustful eyes roam over the definitely male body in appreciation. Never before had he thought that a man's touch could send him into madness like this. Never before had he ever envisioned himself _doing_ this. But god he wanted it so badly right now. The firm hand on the small of his back pulled their bodies together. While a wicked mouth was nipping at his collarbone, tasting his skin as if it was to be savored.

Loki was pleased with the wriggling mess he was making out off the engineer. His own desire flaring every time he made Tony gasp for breath. Those delicious almost silent moans were not enough. Loki wanted, _needed_ more. He craved to hear the most embarrassing noises, to hear Anthony Stark scream underneath him. His hips pressed teasingly against the other man, making their equal needs rise further with the maddening friction.

"Fuck!" Tony cursed, feeling Locke's grin forming, his hot ragged breath brushing his skin. That sinful mouth moved to his ear, a feeling of deja vu present in the back of his lust-adled brain. His assistant's burning tongue trailed along the shell his ear, making the hairs of his skin rise in anticipation. Tony rolled his hips wanting to feel that earlier friction. A whimper escaped his mouth as he found nothing but air. A trembling, velvet voice whispered in his ear, making his earlier thoughts come to life.

"Perhaps if you begged and kneeled for me Stark, I would consider this... _Request_ of yours."

Every fiber in Tony's being was sending out warning signals at this. The warnings made obsolete because Tony couldn't even focus enough to breathe properly. Icy blue opals gazing down on him dared Tony to give in. To submit.

_As if I have a choice left._

Anthony Stark dropped on his knees before the man than tormented his thoughts, undoing his own trousers as he hit the carpet.

Certainly Tony had to be doing something right from the get go, judging by the audible gasp he heard from Locke when he hesitantly licked along the length of the man's cock with the flat of his tongue. Whatever actions he performed came from years of experience being on the other end. He merely tried to mimic the movements he enjoyed himself, wanting to draw more of those lovely noises from his rather well endowed assistant. Enjoying the fact that he currently seemed to have the upper hand, he held the base steady with his hand, while swirling his tongue around the tip. A trick that had always sent him reeling to the edges of insanity.

These enthusiastic attentions had Loki throwing back his head and moaning aloud, involuntarily thrusting into Stark's very warm mouth. He could end himself in that welcoming cavern, especially given the ardor Stark was showing. Loki had his hands buried in short, soft hair, its owner languidly repeating the same sucking action that drove him wild. Gradually Loki was losing control. If this pace continued then his only option would be to grip the man's head roughly and ride out his lust between those shameless lips.

"Stark." There was no immediate reaction. The engineer's head still bobbed on his rigid cock as defiant eyes looked up at him with expectancy. Loki knew what the other wanted to hear. A name. His name. "Aaann..." Loki moaned softly as that teasing tongue worked wonders. "Anthony..."

Tony gave his assistant's length one more leisurely lick before he withdrew and looked up. "Nice to know you finally learned my name, although I'd rather be called Tony."

"Cease your prattle. I am granting your request." Reddened lips were on his again, and Loki delved into that mouth for all it was worth, tasting the other man who now carried a hint of a different flavor. Himself. With a shrug the robe slid off his shoulders , falling in a heap on the ground beneath his feet. The ex-god squeezed Stark's rock hard arousal through the fabric of his jeans, then slid into the opened fly to palm the hot flesh. Soon the pants dropped to the floor entirely, leaving naught but two bare bodies drowning in a sea of lascivious pleasure.

Locke was looming over him, demanding hands curling over his ass. Long slender fingers trailing along the cleft of his backside, evident in their want. A skilled mouth nibbled on the sensitive spots of his neck while he rolled his hips to rub their arousals together. Tony was a wordless mess of hot smoldering flesh ready to be conquered. Their surroundings slowly started to make sense. Tony had been in this very same position plenty of times before, though never as the passive party. He knew where Locke was leading him to as he was shoved against the back of the bar. Tony's hands fumbled, trying to pry open a slide door of the bar behind him. A finger circling around the tight, untried entrance to his body made him slightly anxious. Tony quickly found what he was looking for. Being a known playboy had its advantages. "Wait!" He gasped.

Loki hissed. "Do not tell me what to do, Anthony. It is far too late." Wicked hands moved from the engineer's ass to reach around and grip his length firmly.

"I..hnnnnnnn." Tony never finished his last coherent thought, moaning as he pressed a small bottle of lube against Locke's chest, conveying his message while his previously ignored sex got all the attention it could yearn for. The not so subtle hint was taken. After Locke had coated his fingers with a seemingly adequate volume of the cold slick , the bottle was shoved back into his hands. That exploring digit returned to its point of origin, burying itself deep into Tony's tight hole. The engineer bit his lip at the foreign sensation inside him. Soon another determined finger was added, trying to stretch him open for what was to come.

Tony used the rest of the bottle of lube to coat Locke's thick sex, making the taller man hum with satisfaction as he left a trail of swift kisses on Tony's bare flesh. Feeling Locke's growing irritation, Tony tried to brace himself as those fingers scissored a last time. The impatience was palpable. He was turned around to face the bar more forcefully than he would have preferred. The cold,slick head of Locke's arousal settled itself against the slightly loosened pucker. Nothing could have prepared him for the moment Locke surged forward, burying himself in one ruthless motion. Tony let out a hiss of pain, and tensed up.

Those tightening muscles were absolutely maddening for Loki. Almost uncomfortable. "_Relax_, Stark."

"That's easy for you to say! You get to do the easy part..." Tony hissed out at the burning sensation within, yet he still tried to relax. "It hurts like hell."

"You have never..." Realization sank in for Loki. Tony Stark had never been intimate with another man. It was strange for a person as overly flirtatious as the irritating engineer to have no experience in this. "Ignorant fool, don't think I'll spare you now." He shifted within the tight confines of the clenching body.

"I asked for this myself. Just start _moving_, you cold bastard." Tony said, biting back another hiss as Locke retreated and rocked back into him. True to his word his assistant did not spare him, but soon enough the pain dulled. Other sensations were mingling with it, making it far more thrilling with each thrust. Before long Tony was panting and sweating as their bodies collided, a powerful push nudging a certain sensitive spot within. Tony saw spots of mad pleasure cloud his vision and cried out. "Mooo...rree... FUCK!"

Loki willingly complied, adding a little bit of extra force to his already hard, fast rhythm. Hands pinned Tony's hips, trying to stop the engineer from moving too much. Loki's hungry mouth sucked on the skin of the other man's shoulder desperately. Causing the wanton, shameless screams and moans that poured out of Anthony Stark's mouth, sounds that made him moan in return. This unmerciful pace continued, their bodies colliding in shameless, burning bliss. Reduced to nothing more than rutting, debauched creatures.

A powerful flash of white crossed his vision, sending Tony over the edge. " LO...aaaaaaah!"

The voice crying out his name, combined with a twitching sheath around him, unmade Loki, and he came in an explosion of reckless passion. Both of them waited, panting, gasping out for desperately needed air, riding out the last tremors of their orgasms.

The ex god leaned heavily on the body he had pinned to the counter. Spent and satisfied, yet extremely tired, Loki wanted nothing more than to sleep now. Before he had any say in the matter, his body made the choice for him, and he dozed off, his forehead resting on Tony's shoulder.

Tony turned around, and let the half-concious body of Locke lean against him. They were both emptied out and in desperate need of sleep. Somewhere along the way Tony decided that he might as well drag both of them to the nearest bedroom. A shower could wait till the next day since a soft bed was far more beckoning and inviting. Both of them crawled beneath the covers on their own accord, Locke drowsily shifting against his still warm back. A heavy arm slung around him, pinning Tony down into the position of the little spoon. Something he could handle for the time being. Not like he had many options.

"Hey Locke?"

Loki was only half aware of a question being asked. "Hmmmmm?"

"Great sex."

Loki only hummed in reply.

"I'm not sorry to have almost hit you with my car. At all." It had been so long since he had last felt this drained and fulfilled he had not even minded showing his arc reactor. A sight not many have ever seen. Even fewer had spent a night in the same bed with him after he had gotten what he wanted. "Anything you're not sorry for, Locke?" _Like screwing my brains out?_

"...Hnnnnmm yeah.." It was a hazy and slow, but an answer nontheless. "I am not sorry that I defenestrated you." The strange reply mumbled by a half asleep, unaware Loki.

Tony raised his eyebrow at the choice of words. Who even spoke like that these days except people quoting Shakespeare? Slowly the feeling of danger he had been having for days came rearing its ugly head. Locke had never thrown him out of a window so why would he...?

* * *

big thanks goes out to Wampus Dragon for being the beta for this chapter!

It was the hardest thing i had to write so far, no pun intended.

Never in my life had i expected to get so many positive reactions from you lovely readers.

The amount of reviews, followers and favoriters had my mind in a twist.

Especially considering this was me nonchalantly trying to improve my English in the beginning.

Thinking that it was going to be a short story, boy i was wrong :p

Silly old me.

I would like to thank each and everyone for you for taking the time to read.

Feel free to leave a tasty review, those things are my brains dinner.


	19. Chapter 19

disclaimer: i do not own marvel

**Chapter 19**

Would life ever be remotely peaceful or even halfway normal for Tony Stark? Was trouble ever going to cease in its attempts to just casually fuck with his life when everything finally seemed ok? Tony always guessed that if there was such a thing like fate, karma, or destiny that it would probably take the form of a scorned ex-lover who was hell-bent on getting her sweet revenge. If an incalculable force like that was real, then perhaps it could offer an explanation for this insane situation.

Tony lay in a bed that was not his own, awake after a few hours of unsettled, dreamless sleep. The great Tony Stark had been reduced to being the little spoon. A warm, heavy arm hugged his waist. Another man's head nestled in the crook of his neck in deep slumber. A low, soft rumble betrayed that, yes, gods did in fact snore.

Fate was a crazy bitch with a cackling laugh that would put any super-villain to shame.

But the sleeping man didn't look like the crazy, brooding diva that the god of mischief and lies was…

…Is.

…_Used_ to be.

Locke—or rather, Loki—acted like any a-social, stoic asshole that was severely sick and wounded. In one heated flare of anger, Loki had tried to strangle him while still in the hospital, but exhaustion and fever had quickly rid the man of any strength. The once powerful god was now nothing more than an injured and angry human. Tony couldn't even find it within himself to hold the ex-god accountable for his actions at the hospital. Hell, if the same situation happened to him, Tony probably would've responded in the same fashion.

So far the worst thing done by the ex-god was switching Tony's coffee with the horrendous green herbal tea—a dreadful, distasteful poison for Tony and any other self-respecting person. Loki had also hidden the truth about himself by gathering an alias and altering his looks, but that was also to be expected. He was, without a doubt, still handsome; even alluring enough to catch Tony's eye.

The man was lies and mischief. Nothing more.

Still… could you count on him to remain healthy and sane? What were the odds that he'd go batshit insane in the near future? Tony bet his fortune that Loki, even without the aid of his godly magic, was a force to be reckoned with and capable of much more than a simple herbal tea switch.

But Tony was still alive, very much so judging by the sting of pain he felt in his backside, and that was something to be said. Loki had a chance to rip out the power source keeping him alive last night. Hell, Loki had plenty of opportunities to destroy him since coming to live at Stark Tower. The ex-god could've poisoned that well-grilled steak he'd cooked him the other night for all he knew.

A clear picture sprang to Tony's mind caused by his incessant, running imagination. It had been _Loki_ cooking dinner for him, his former madness-filled enemy wearing an apron and doing something extremely domestic. When Locke had those half-formed smiles on his face caused by one of Tony's remarks, the engineer had thought it a beautiful, perhaps even adorable, expression. It had been Loki all along.

_Shit. Fucking adorable, smiling bastard crawling under my skin._

Tony still wanted to see that face wearing a full and bright smile; one free of insanity.

Next to him Loki stirred and his slow snore stopped. He took a deep breath in and out. The air brushed the skin of Tony's neck, giving him goose-bumps wherever it touched. Loki turned again, snuggling into the warmth of Tony's body. Another one of the engineer's unasked questions suddenly received an answer. It appeared that gods indeed also had morning wood.

Slowly Loki started to stir and awaken from a good night's sleep. He wanted nothing more than to stay in his dream-like state, enveloped in the comforting warmth and softness of his bedding. He felt well-rested and at ease against the warm human body beside him and he instinctively reached out for it.

Wait.

There was a person next to him…

In his bed…

Sleeping under the same covers!

Groggily he opened his eyes. Sleep still clouded his vision, but Loki could only think of one person who had the audacity to enter his quarters. "Stark, what are you doing? Moreover, why are you in _my bed_?" A hint of red crossed his face as Loki realised the position and the state that they were in.

Tony wondered what one should say to a moody ex-god after unexpectedly finding you in his bed. "What do you remember from last night?" Better to play it safe and not call out any of the man's names. Who knew what Loki remembered from the previous night? Tony saw a deep frown playing on the liesmith's face. The ex-god rolled over to the other side of the bed, putting some distance between them. Tony disliked the loss of warmth. "Need a hint there, Highness?" Tony asked, treading into possibly dangerous foreign waters.

Loki rose and sat on the edge of the bed, naked as a newborn babe. The smell of sweat and sex clung heavily in the surrounding air telling him all he needed to know. No wonder he felt so rested and relaxed. Even his mood seemed lighter than normal. The events of the previous night came flooding back to him, filling his mind with memories and images of their primal struggle. He could not, unfortunately, remember walking to his room with or without the brown-haired engineer. "How did I end up here?"

"I dragged your half-sleeping ass here. And I do have a name. Remember using it?"

Much to his shame, he did remember calling out that name. This certainly presented a new level of awkward. "How did you end up here…Anthony?"

"You decided that I should become your little spoon."

Loki turned his head, a recognisable glare on his face. "I don't see what spoons have to do with this." He retorted, not linking their sleeping position to Tony's remark.

The mischief maker did not remember their small but revealing chat. Tony didn't know if this was a curse or a blessing, but he sincerely hoped for the latter. He took a risk and answered the question as if it had been Locke asking. "You like to cuddle and you claimed me as your personal human pillow and stove. I couldn't get out of your death grip even if I wanted." Loki's glare faded, making way for embarrassment. Sometimes taking risks paid off. "Oh, and you snore."

Loki ignored any further ramblings coming from Stark's mouth. Instead he got out of bed, firmly telling himself that Stark's words were a lie and he did not snore. Or cuddle. He didn't even like to be held or to hold another person. Those actions were nothing but useless sentiment. "I am going to the bathroom and then to clean myself. It is not a suggestion when I tell you to do the same. You simply reek vile." That last part was a lie. Deep down, he enjoyed smelling his own scent on Stark.

At least the 'non-suggestion' was a good one. Loki had a point that both of them smelled terrible. Tony reckoned he could use a shower, though not only to wash away the smell. He was sticky and sore all over. Carefully he rose from the bed and a shot of hot pain stung him with every misplaced movement. He definitely needed painkillers. Still, he had much worse pain from injuries received while on-duty as Iron Man, though none of them were quite like this. Before he exited Loki's bedroom, the man's voice called out from the bathroom.

"And don't forget to make my coffee!"

Tony rolled his eyes. As if he would ever forget to make his assistant's coffee.

* * *

Steve Rogers showed up early, if you could call eleven in the morning early. In the soldier's mind that was considered late. Tony knew from previous experience that his friend had a habit of getting up extremely early. The broad-shouldered hero had once shown up at half past six on his doorstep feeling guilty for things he'd said earlier on the helicarrier. Really, the engineer did not even care about that anymore, but the blonde soldier insisted he make up for it. Ever since that day, Steve had shown up now and then in the mornings. Tony let him come and go but only under the condition that he never arrived at half past six again.

Steve was there again, holding a large duffel bag over his shoulder and trying to not get in the way of the few hired workers moving furniture. "Really, Tony, I can help."

"Relax, Steve. Sit down and have a drink. Life isn't all about work, even for people like you," said Tony, all but sinking into the large couch in the middle of the living room. Tony had decided that today should be all about comfort. He was so sore he couldn't even work in the lab, let alone on his current project. That really got on his nerves since he was only mere hours away from its completion.

Steve raised a finger to argue.

"No 'buts' Steve." Because there would be a lot of 'buts' if there was work to be done by the Captain. No matter how small and insignificant the job, Soldier Boy wanted to aid. Tony thought it was something Steve really needed to stop doing. "Why don't you give it a rest and get the rest of your stuff over from that dark shed you call an apartment."

"It served its purpose," stated the large blonde man. He received a doubtful look from Tony that clearly said, '_Really? Are you serious_?' So Steve admitted, "Ok, I felt like a canned sardine in there. Happy now? And this…" He grabbed the heavy bundle he carried on his shoulder and put it down on the ground as if it were as light as a feather. "…is all my stuff."

"No way that's all your stuff. Where's your secret stash of porn, Cap?" goaded the brown-haired genius, carrying a smirk on his face as he lifted his coffee mug.

"I do not have pornography, Tony Stark. We're not all like you," answered Steve, slightly bit proud of himself for not stumbling over his words or turning tomato-red.

"Oh yeah, I forgot. You know how to use the internet." Tony gave his friend a lewd wink. "Good for you, Cap."

"Shouldn't you be working? Tinkering away on some kind of mechanical thing in your lab?" The blonde tried to redirect the conversation and steer it away from the current subject.

"I'm giving myself a well-deserved break."

"You're lying. Whatever you were cooking up in your work space had you absorbed for days. It doesn't make sense for you to just lie around here," Steve retorted, making the casual remark based on Tony's normal habits and quirks. He suddenly eyed his friend in worry and suspicion. "You're not hurt, are you?"

_Shit, I bet he wants answer too._ How could he respond to that? He definitely was "hurting." There was no denying that. So what the hell did he say to his friend? From the corner of his eye he saw Loki enter the room carrying some files and heading in their direction. "I ummm…"

Steve followed Tony's eyes and noticed his assistant standing a few feet away. Perhaps Locke would answer his question. "Good morning, Locke," Steve greeted with a smile on his face even though it did little to hide his worry. He pointed towards the reluctant man sitting on the sofa. "Has he hurt himself again? It's unusual for him to not be working in the lab."

Loki stopped dead in his tracks, mimicking the distressed look that Steve carried.

_This can't be good, _Tony thought to himself. Whatever response Loki was deciding to conjure up to the American hero could possibly ruin him. The man's current bothered look was completely deceptive. Tony had seen those eyes enough in his dreams and in the past two weeks to recognise the mischievous glint hidden in the blue orbs.

"He…" Steve and Tony both stared at the man, waiting for the rest. The former had nothing but the curious look of a friend, but the latter looked on with vague horror. "…he has hemorrhoids."

_What the hell?_

"Oh, that's not too terrible," retorted Steve. "It's almost expected with the way you eat junk food." He gave Tony a look while using his Captain America voice of reason. "You don't live healthy."

"Hey, I'm alive aren't I? We can't all be health freaks or goody-two-shoes."

_Hemorrhoids?_ _Really? That was his reply? What was he thinking?_ Tony had expected something greater and more grandiose from Loki. Something that would've further fucked-up his chaotic life. Er…not that he liked his imaginary hemorrhoids. Oh hell no.

Loki sighed deeply as if also troubled by Tony's non-existent issue. "I've been trying to make him eat better, but Anthony doesn't listen. Eating healthier now and then would solve his problem."

_Oh no…_

Steve smiled brightly at the words. "You're absolutely right, Locke. That's a great idea."

"Hey! Don't I get a say in this?" Tony injected, trying to save any rights he had to pizza, shawarma, and breakfast doughnuts.

"No," answered Steve and Loki simultaneously, the former in the strict voice of Captain America convinced he was helping a friend, and the second with a well-known, amused grin on his face. Well, at least the ex-god was having fun.

_Shit, I knew I was doomed the minute I woke up. This is the first day of the end of my life. Damn, cute, conniving bastard._

In the end the two left Tony sitting alone on the sofa in his spacious living room looking severely pissed off. They both carried on to their respective jobs, which in Steve's case was helping to move furniture. The brown-haired engineer found himself alone again, burdened with all of his unspoken thought and troubles. After all, it wasn't every day you found out you lived with a previous Norse god and a well-known being that caused havoc and ruin wherever he set his sights. Not to mention, those gorgeous eyes had been looking at him the entire time these past several weeks.

During the remaining hours of the day, a variety of options surged through Tony's mind. Some of them were not worth contemplating or considering for more than a second, but Tony still had to make sure he'd covered all routes possible. The most obvious and probably "right" thing to do in this situation was to reveal Loki and hand him over to S.H.I.E.L.D. At the very least share he should share his new-found knowledge with the rest of the team. However, god or no god, the other Avengers would never allow Loki see the light of day again for as long as he lived. And who knew what would happen if he was taken to S.H.I.E.L.D.? Tony had no desire to find that out in a million years.

Finding Thor and confronting him about Loki seem a poor option too. The bulky Asgardian hadn't let any of them know that his adopted sibling had been cast out to Earth. He'd lead them to believe that Loki was dead, though technically he'd never voiced this aloud. Truthfully, Thor had only told them that the mischievous god was gone and sentenced to death. But Loki was still very much alive, only now he was a powerless human just like the rest of them, bound to spend his last years on Earth; a breath of life compared to the eons he could've had as a god.

No wonder his assistant always seemed pissed off.

_My assistant,_ Tony repeated in his head while running hands through his chocolate-brown locks. Maybe he should do nothing at all and pretend he'd misheard those softly spoken words uttered by a tired man?

Could he really let go of the one individual that made his heart race like there was no tomorrow?

Jarvis interrupted his train of thought by announcing that dinner was almost finished. Tony was definitely not looking forward to seeing whatever kind of slimy, green, and ultimately healthy thing that Loki had cooked up for him. Slowly, he made his way toward the dining area and noted that three people were now present. Bruce had somehow managed to make his way to the Tower just in time for dinner.

"So this is your fearsome assistant from hell," Bruce commented, passing a green, vegetable-filled plate of food to the engineer.

"Salad. My favourite."

"I'm surprised you're even eating it," Bruce said, observing Tony eat the leaves of lettuce with great reluctance.

"Trust me when I say that the other outcome would've been much worse. As I said earlier, he might be spawned from hell," muttered Tony.

"Contrary to popular belief, vegetables are not your worst enemy. And according to what you said earlier, your assistant is actually good help." Bruce was enjoying the meal. Normally he never got to eat something home-cooked and this was a very decent meal. That earned more plus-points for Tony's blonde assistant. So far the only downside was the man's complete avoidance of the new scientist, but that was something Bruce couldn't fault him on. Locke was probably aware of what lay underneath his calm exterior. "I think he's ok."

_Not if you really knew him_, Tony thought. Yet out of all of them, Bruce might actually be able to understand a portion of this freakishly strange mess.

"Traitor," retorted the brown-haired engineer. "Each and every one of you." His eyes streamed towards his ex-god assistant who was leaning against the kitchen counter eating the remainders of the salad straight out of the serving bowl. There wasn't even a hint of the crazies in those handsome blue eyes.

_Goddammit, why did it have to be me?_

Tony couldn't do anything. He knew that now. The questions he'd been asking all day could only be answer by an emphatic '_No._' Tony was definitely not going to let go of the man he desired.

_But why does it have to be Loki?_

After dinner Tony finally made it to his upstairs laboratory, an environment that made him feel instantly calmer, even if he was bothered by millions of ideas or questions. Jarvis had also kept the truth about Loki hidden without even asking. There was a certain understanding between Tony and the A.I. Robots, inanimate life forms, and the like were overall less judgemental than humans. Unless a real emergency arose, Jarvis would keep quiet about this.

The engineer had no will or energy left to deal with his assistant ex-god today. How could he even look at the man now when he knew who he was and what he did? Just the prospect of caring for another person scared him shitless. It only made matters worse finding out the truth about who he _actually_ liked. What if he let Loki's name slip in the midst of heated touches and strokes caused by the other? Granted, that was if they could share in that delicious, heated passion again, something that Tony sincerely hoped was possible.

Dear god. Soon his Tower would be filled with Avengers. How did everything turn out like this? Was it even wise to let the tall, lean man stay here? What would happen when "Locke" and Thor came face to face in the very near future? Tony ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

The swish of one of his reinforced, transparent doors announced that Bruce had finally found his way upstairs. "Hey there green, mean, fighting machine," the short engineer noted in a tone that suggested he shouldn't have a care in the world.

"Something's bothering you." Bruce was a very observant person. As a child and teenager he had always watched from the side lines. As an adult he… well, he used to be more outgoing before the incident. After his intense exposure to gamma radation, he'd perfected his observation techniques as means to his own survival.

"You saw. I was forced to eat salad. Of course something is bothering me."

"No, whatever's bugging you has been going on much longer, way before being force-fed those raw greens. Steve told me about your 'problem.'" Bruce observed Tony carefully from his spot in the doorway. The engineer looked busily at the surrounding screens, but he lacked the regular, fierce, intelligent look on his face. Whatever was troubling him wasn't caused by science or his supposed illness. The gamma scientist had been living in some strange, foreign lands for the past several years and had experienced some odd cultures. But human behaviours never changed.

Tony shrugged. "Nothing I didn't complain about already. I just wanted a day of peace and rest. But no, Locke had to meddle with that too."

Tony's vain complaints, remarks, and annoyed glances all directed to Locke made sense. Bruce decided he might as well spit it out now rather than let his friend keep up this charade. "Tony, nothing's wrong with you."

"Of course nothing's wrong with me! Locke's being a pain in the ass!"

Much to Tony's surprise the normally shy scientist chuckled. "Exactly my point," Bruce said, throwing a knowing look in the other man's direction.

* * *

big thanks to sinister banana for being the beta for this chapter.

big thanks to you readers for still holding out with me.

Feel free to leave a review, brain-snacks omnomnom.


	20. Chapter 20

Disclaimer: i do not own marvel.

Chapter 20

Steve Rogers was easily manipulated to do something, especially if the all American soldier thought he was helping another person out. A positive trait that was generally useful, and a negative trait that shielded the man from the lie. It had been a very entertaining afternoon for the ex-god. Unselfishly, the broad-shouldered blond had aided him in a childish prank at Stark's cost. So far the day had been quite amusing.

Right now, both of them were in the kitchen preparing dinner, Rogers insisting on helping out. Loki did not feel the need to stop him. This meant he would have less dirty hands after all.

He had yet to meet an untalkative human being. Even the soldier made attempts at small talk. At least this conversation did not feel as overly irritating as others had. His words were spoken with more thought behind them, better articulated and calmer. It was a refreshing pace. He was surprised to find out that the soldier enjoyed literature and art. None of the warriors he grew up with held any fondness for such "delicate" things. After a while he could even claim to be marginally enjoying the discussion about Hemingway with the other man.

"So you must be Locke?"

Though it was not a voice known to Loki, there was a hint of something recognizable in it but placing it was hard. As if the way he had heard it before was different from this calm, polite lilt. He turned around and cast a glance towards its owner. No wonder he could not place the voice. Last time he heard it, it came from a very different, and yet the same, man. The green beast had spoken and grunted. All violence and anger. The man entering the kitchen awkwardly was the complete opposite.

"Yes, and you must be Dr. Bruce Banner." He did the polite and human thing to do, reaching out a hand to shake it in a greeting gesture. The handshake was devoid of force. "Nice meeting you. Stark told you about me I assume?"

Bruce smiled as he accepted the offered hand. The tall, blond man was calm and polite like Steve had told him. Not the 'cold hearted, bastard assistant from hell' that his fellow scientist first called him. " Yes. Yet somehow I expected you to be different."

"Oh, yes I can imagine that well enough." No doubt that Stark had exaggerated every word spoken about him. Although none of them knew or suspected that the reality was much much worse than imagination.

"Sit down and eat. I assume you are hungry." It was not a question, and not quite a command. Still he wondered if the mild-mannered doctor would sit down. From what he gathered, the man had always put distance between himself and strangers.

Bruce let out a small laugh, noticing that dinner was apparently greenery, lettuce, chicken and...were those figs? It was nothing like the pizza or shawarma that was the usual fare at Stark Tower. "Are you telling me that Tony eats this?"

Steve was the first one to reply. "He does not have a choice, right Locke?"

Loki grinned, more amused than wickedly at Rogers for wanting his confirmation. "Yes, I can be a real pain in the ass. Stark has told you of this, I am certain. So he will have to put up with this until further notice.." Gesturing towards the salad as if it was something deadly.

His earlier improvised remark about a natural yet embarrassing illness was improvised. Out of his mouth before he knew it happened. Making Anthony suffer from a non-existent problem was utterly funny. Having Rogers there as a back-up was just icing on the cake. It solved another problem Loki faced here as well. No more breakfast doughnuts, evenings of fast food or any other pathetic excuse for food would get in here if he had his way.

Any attention Bruce had on the conversation dissipated when a certain engineer entered the room, walking stiffly. He sat down for dinner reluctantly while reaching out for his fork, seeming displeased. Anthony Stark started eating, with a grumpy look on his face. Loki smiled vaguely at this while grabbing the salad bowl for himself and eating the leftover vegetables, sparing himself one less dish to wash in the process

His blue eyes strayed over to the small table where the two scientists seemed to be locked in conversation now. Things were discussed by words, gestures and sometimes a mere exchanged look. A little world of their own closed off from all other data trying to enter. Yet a warm brown gaze still made calculated glances his direction, no matter how deep the conversation ran. The engineer had let him invade the personal "science" bubble he and Banner were in.

It gave him a feeling of contentment to know he had engraved himself so completely on the man's mind and body. A strange feeling for one who had only longed for power and knowledge mere months ago. Loki had learned that whatever disturbing emotions reared their head, he had to endure them. Part of being mortal that he would never get used to.

At least lust had not been so bad after all. It held certain positive sides. His entire body was less tense. Strain and stress had vanished, giving way to relaxed muscles and a more content mind. And definitely not forgetting the physical pleasure the act of coitus had provided. Sleep had been deep and long, even if the position he'd awakened in was embarrassing. And no matter what that fool said, Loki refused to believe he snored.

A larger problem had surfaced though. Loki had expected to be rid of the unwavering desire he felt. He had thought that the act itself would "get it out of his system". Instead he found himself still craving Anthony, who had disappeared into his workplace as soon as dinner was over. Clearly he was being avoided. Something he would not stand for.

During dinner those intelligent, brown eyes had burned slowly. When a glance was cast his way, hesitance shone through. Loki refused to believe that his "prank" was the cause of this. Intent on finding out and unraveling this riddle from that wanton mouth, he headed upstairs.

Nothing could stop him once his objective was set. Exceptions could be made however, if they proved to be interesting. The door to the lab was open just a tiny bit, sounds of a vaguely heated discussion beyond them. Listening in on others was always a decent excuse for entertainment. At least it was if you were Loki.

"You're serious?" Said the soft, but upset voice of Bruce Banner. " You _are_. Do you always end up sleeping with your assistants? Please tell me you used protection?"

"That wasn't really on my mind at the time. Believe it or not I just wanted him to screw my brains out." Loki had a Cheshire-cat like grin on his face, hearing those words from his employer turned conquest.

"Since when do you like men anyway?" The tone in which Banner spoke changed, as if he was accusing Stark of something.

"I don't." A sigh could be heard. Loki could envision those calloused hands running though short strands of brown hair. "I didn't."

Seconds of silence passed and a certain heavy tension clung in the air. The ex-god wished he could see the expressions on their faces. One could tell plenty from the tone of a voice. But eyes rarely lied or disguised truths easily.

"This was your first." Retorted Banner in the voice of a doctor rather than a friend. "Locke was your first?" It was not a question even if it sounded like one. It was simply a confirmation of what the man had suspected.

"No shit, Sherlock." Tony griped, trying to sound like he could not give a damn.

"Aren't you a little too old to experiment with strangers?" No longer did the scientists voice sound like that of a doctor, and it wasn't friendly either.

"Hey watch it! I'm still young, alive and kicking! Might as well be a teenager."

"Tony you're…"

"And who are you calling a stranger? Locke isn't a stranger. He's just an ass." How on earth did Anthony manage to defend and insult him in the same sentence?

"You haven't known him for very long. That qualifies in my book as a stranger." Answered Banner firmly after Tony stopped talking.

"Out of everyone here, I thought you would be more understanding Bruce." Tony's voice sounded normal, yet Loki could hear the hurt in it. Even without seeing the man.

"It's not that Tony. I just..." Banner sighed. "Never mind. It's getting late so I'd better be off to my room. Good night Tony." The scientist hurried off, away from the workplace with heavy footsteps.

Bruce passed him by with a surprised look on his face. Clearly the man had not expected the "assistant" to be standing there outside the door. Loki did not like the expression on the man's face. Dark eyes that held more than a hint of jealousy.

Before the door fully closed, shutting him out of the lab he normally could not visit, Loki caught it with his foot and entered the dim room. The door automatically clicked its lock behind him. The whole place was cleaner than expected, a desk occupied by Tony the only exception. The lights were faint, casting shadows in every corner. The glow of cerulean screens enveloped the other man, complicated models and life-size blueprints floating in the air around him.

"Sneaked in past Bruce didn't you?" Tony said as he became aware of Loki's presence in one of his most personal spaces. Right now he was not sure how to handle this. Not many living things were allowed to enter here. He could count each and every one of them on one hand.

His feet stopped moving, giving the tall, pale man time to carefully look around and study his environment. "How did you know it was me Anthony?"

"Steve always knocks. Bruce shuffles and you can hear the clicking of Peppers heels a mile away. Not to mention Jarvis. Strangely he does not consider you a threat."

"Should I be considered a threat?" Loki asked, letting his eyes trail over the other man, settling themselves on the glowing arc reactor. Its faint blue light shining through the fabric of the other man's shirt.

"You called me Anthony again." Tony did not feel entirely safe with those eyes placed on his lifeline.

"I do not see how that holds any meaning, or connection to the possibility of me forming a threat." Blue eyes settled themselves on brown, demanding an answer.

"It might not mean anything at all but harmless is _not_ a thing I would call you. After all you _have_tried to strangle me before. Not to mention I still feel sore from last night." That last sentence had been quipped less seriously. After all his current state could not necessarily be described as harm.

"You deserved my anger then. It was your very own fault I ended up in a hospital." Loki continued his slow steps,closing the distance between them. He felt an invisible tug towards the other man. Something that made him shiver in undeniable anticipation.

That cat-like grace in which Loki walked towards him and that velvet tone he used exuded power. Tony should probably run, or alert the others. He should probably feel scared shitless right now. But he did not. Tony could not bring himself to be any of those. "I've _told_you before. I don't regret putting you in the hospital." He was walking on thin ice and he knew it.

The mischief maker was a mere breath away from his target. Almost did he have his answer. Loki could taste it now, an unspoken sentence. The foolish man in front of him knew something. Anthony looked like he was about to run, any smart man might have done so, yet he managed to defy all logic and do the exact opposite. He stood unafraid on his feet, facing Loki. "Tell me, Anthony." Came a purred tone, the one he knew would give the engineer goosebumps." What am I missing?"

That alluring voice was killing him softly. The way Loki used it and the tone it carried made him want to answer. Tony was stronger than that though. Only one thing was on his mind right now. Tony wanted to_ have_this now ungodly being, all at once familiar and not. This human man that made his heart rise and sink. Made his brain devoid of logic. "Shut up and kiss me, you ass." He said with a defiant look.

"Who am I to deny your request? Will your fellow comrades not think ill of you for wanting a man?" Loki questioned with a tempting resonance in his voice.

Tony just shrugged it off. "They'll get over it." It was not the 'wanting a man' part that had him worried still, more the question of _who_ he wanted. Even Tony was not sure if he was over the "who" part. Still he grabbed the other man's collar, pulling him down onto a warm, eager mouth.

* * *

Thanks to all the lovely people taking their time to read this, know that i really appreciate it.

Feel free to leave some reviewing brain-foods.

big giant thanks to my beta for this chapter!

to Guanon: Since you posted as a guest i can only answer you like this. Originally i planned 19 and 20 to be one big chapter, eventually i decided to cut it in half. This might be the reason that it looks a bit off or different from the others. Thor will be back soon, trouble and everything ensured.

to: all the other reviewers i'm sending you mental boxes of chocolate and other sweet goods from where i live. I do hope everybody gets them.

New cover picture made by Godofbadweather, my old one was really really awful thanks to my non-existent Photoshop skills.


	21. Chapter 21

disclaimer: i do not own marvel

**Chapter 21**

A cold hand moved across the bed sheets, finding nothing except unused space and fabric. Not even a trace or imprint of a warm body was left behind on the mattress. During the dark night hours Loki had managed to grab a hold of one of the soft feather-filled pillows. His left leg was slung over it, leaving the pillow half-cradled in the crook of his knee.

This action was degrading. Decent adults did not find themselves waking up in such a precarious position, even if it did feel oddly comforting and made one long for more than just empty beddings. Loki had not slept in such a cradled position since his days a young teenager.

That is if you rule out the previous day.

As a small child Loki regularly sought out his "brother's" companionship. He and Thor told each other tales of foolish bravery and ancient lore until they were so exhausted they fell asleep. Thor snored with the volume of thunder. Yes, even back then he was loud. In the morning, Frigga would wake them up just in time for their respective studies.

Loki devoted his time to sorcery so he could gain control of his powerful, wild abilities. Thor, on the other hand, studied warfare and battle and made new friends with every step. He blindly jumped headfirst into adventure and blatantly ignored the protesting warnings of a much smaller Loki. Eventually Thor's actions drove the two brothers apart, causing Loki to lose his childlike ignorance and naiveté.

Loki's blue eyes widened as he suddenly woke up. A thought escaped his lips in a hushed whisper.

"What if Thor had listened to me ?"

_Sentiment. I should not dwell on these thoughts._

What was this? Another effect of his humanity? Or was this merely reminiscing about simpler times, before he knew he was one of the monsters they used to talk about in stories?

It had to be the human side, and it was probably also linked with this infernal need for touch and affection. His body desired the ridiculous notion of waking up next to a certain brown-haired fool.

A short distance away the "fool" was having his own similar thoughts upon waking. The kiss the two shared in the lab the previous night had rapidly escalated into longing, feverous touches. As rapidly as the heated actions began, they ended, leaving Tony Stark feeling hot, bothered, and nearly ready to blurt the words Loki had so longed to pull from him.

Afterward, sleep came easily enough for Tony, considering his lack of a decent rest the night before. Sleep, however, came with high costs—dreams. In the past, Tony's dreams were always vague, blurry, and purely sexual. But now they had shifted to something even more. There was no longer any illusionary border between "Locke" and Loki. They were both different men and yet the same person. It was almost too crazy for words, too insane to be real or said aloud.

Tony Stark missed waking up as the little spoon.

The morning progressed slowly. Captain America got called by S.H.I.E.L.D. to resolve a minor incident. Unfortunately none of the Avengers trusted the word "minor" anymore. Minor meant that all hell could break loose at any seemingly-perfect moment at exactly the wrong place and the wrong time.

Before Steve left he merely nodded to the others and said, "I'll keep my eyes wide open for anything suspicious."

Tony and Bruce then disappeared into the labs along with a lifetime supply of coffee and tea (Bruce had found Tony's "hated" herbal tea rather soothing). Work called to the two geniuses; there were things to build, items to discover, and calculations to be made. There had to be a way to locate the renegade Chitauri scouts and trace them back to their point of origin to send them back from where they came.

Loki ran back and forth between the penthouse and Pepper Potts' office. Somehow he found himself discussing Tony's quirky habits with the Midgardian woman. Both of them laughed about it. Pepper was highly amused that he'd gotten the short genius to eat a salad since, according to her, this was quite the accomplishment.

"How did you do it?" Pepper questioned Locke. The tall man had done such an outstanding job so far. None before him had ever accomplished so much in so short a time.

"Let's say I just found the right leverage. Anthony's options were quite limited at the time." Loki could feel Pepper's smiling devilish eyes staring at him in silent approval. "I made Rogers believe he had hemorrhoids. Between the two of us, we decided Anthony needed the change of diet."

Pepper noted that Locke had just used Tony's full name, not even "Tony" or "Stark," but Anthony. She herself had only called the engineer that if he'd done something terribly wrong or was in serious trouble. Yet his assistant had used it in a relaxed and casual way, letting her know that the taller man employed it with Tony's knowledge.

"You like him," Pepper stated suddenly, getting a wide-eyed look from Locke.

"That's absurd. I wouldn't like that man if he was the last sentient being in the universe."

How did this mad devil woman get such a preposterous idea? He would never in a million years grow a fondness for Anthony Stark.

"You're lying to yourself, Locke." The slim red head had seen this enough times before—people telling themself a lie, believing it until convincing themselves it was true.

"I have told more than enough lies to dissect them from the truth," Loki responded vehemently, reflecting on his earlier thoughts. _Except I called him Anthony again…_

"You don't believe what you just said, do you?" Pepper retorted, staring at the set of documents Locke had just handed over. She could practically feel the conflicting emotions radiating from the handsome man. "Tony likes you…" she admitted. This was definitely something she had seen in the eyes and actions of her friend.

"Again, that's absurd. Anthony could never like me." _A monster_. "Now if you'll excuse me I have to be on my way. Work is never finished in this place." Loki left knowing that the last thing he'd said rang with truth. Work was never complete, but using it as his excuse for leaving was a lie. Loki left because Pepper's words had made him feel uncomfortable and her calculating, prying eyes were searching for the truth.

Even if her words did hold a fraction of accuracy, Stark would be a moron for developing feelings toward him. Even then Anthony would only like the illusion, the persona of "Locke"—a character, a shade of who he truly was deep inside. No one could ever have caring or positive emotions toward a monster.

Not even Loki.

His train of thought was broken by the annoying, sharp ring of his phone. Without checking the caller ID, he answered. All probability pointed to it being work related anyway. "Yes?" Loki's stance shifted upon hearing the voice on the other end, and his tone became less serious and strained.

"Highness! How're you holding up in that high tower?" With that voice came the image of a short, stout, balding man with a giant dark moustache wearing a wide grin on his wrinkled face.

"Bob?" Loki asked incredulously.

"Of course it's me, you dolt! I'm back in town. How's about we meet up at the homeless shelter… for old time's sake? We can finally have that meal we were supposed to get ages ago. Lord knows I have some cash to spare now. I'll finally be able to give those guys something in return for always helping me and the boys out." The stream of words came out rapidly in an enthusiastic and friendly tone. "Well, what do you say, Highness? Think you can fulfil this old man's request?"

Loki didn't have to think for very long. Living in that dump… being sick, wounded, and helpless… fully dependant of the kindness of strangers. He owed this man his gratitude. "I'll be there in an hour, old man Bob."

"Mercy have my soul! Did ya just try to crack a joke? You're not an imposter are you?"

"I am certainly not. Don't be foolish. There are none like me." That was truer than anything. Not many men could say they had once been a god, wielding grand magical forces. A foe to be reckoned with.

Bob laughed aloud. "See ya soon, Highness." The old man hung up on him.

"Hmm…" Loki hated not having the last word.

"Sir, are you going out?" called an ethereal voice from the ceiling. Jarvis sounded strangely curious about his activities.

"I suppose I am. Tell Anthony he can enjoy his last night of freedom and order pizza or whatever awful junk food he desires."

"Sir, may I inquire as to where you are going?" Jarvis was curious. He and Tony both held the same knowledge about this man: his true identity. The difference was that Jarvis was not prone to let it slip as easily as his creator could. According to the A.I.'s assessment, Tony Stark had already been almost tricked into "spilling the beans."

"I'm going to meet an old friend." Without thinking further on the A.I's words, Loki went down to the Tower's exit.

His arrived exactly forty-seven minutes after the phone call ended, early but not in an unfashionable way. The whole environment was grey and dull, just like he remembered except even more so. The store that Anthony's red sports car had crashed into was still under construction. The entire area seemed depressing and desolate. Only an elderly woman walking a golden retriever, some cars, and a public transportation bus passed on by.

From across the road a familiar voice called out in joy. "Look at ya! You really are a real Highness now. Hardly recognise ya from the wreck of the man I got to know. Good to see you again, my friend!" Bob crossed the road easily enough and gave him a pat on the shoulder at the last comment. The older man looked pretty much the same with a big, warm bright smile on his face. He was much cleaner though and was dressed in clothes that actually fit him now. "Looks like work has been kind to both of us. Come on, let's get inside and pay handsomely for some grub."

Inside it was quiet. Only one table was occupied and neither of them recognised the man sitting there. Even for an afternoon on a weekday the soup kitchen was ridiculously still. Bob knew this from experience since he had dined there many times or made use of the shower when he could.

Loki noticed Bob's mood shifting from happiness to worry, a thing he had never witnessed from the older man. Even when Loki was sick and injured the man had seemed ever optimistic and hopeful. "What's bothering you?" The ex-god had a sneaking suspicion he would not like the outcome of this day.

"It's too still here. There's not a drifter or homeless person in sight. It ain't normal," replied the older man, face wrinkled by distress. "Maybe they're back at the bridge… I don't know."

Loki realized he should show some consideration and help the man out. Wasn't this what humans did to settle a score? "Do you want to go look, Bob? We can go back to that place that used to be your home." _And my_ _refuge for a while_. Whatever disconcerting feeling the Midgardian had was now enveloping Loki, making the hairs on the back of his neck rise.

Aside from the normal movements on the street—such as people returning from work, teenagers carrying overly large bags, and women shopping—neither of them passed a beggar or a recognisable poor man's face. Even the spot where a young woman used to hang out almost seemed void of life."I don't like the feeling here, Bob. I fear your worry is justified."

"I hate it when I'm right. I haven't had the chance to say it yet but it's nice to hear ya say my name." Bob looked up at the darkening clouds. Rain slowly started to fall from the sky onto his face. They neared the bridge under the cover of a gloomy blackening sky.

Shacks and small make-shift homes from plywood and scraps still stood upright. Cardboard boxes were soaked with water from the rain and slumped down under the weight. No fires were lit in any of the surrounding circular metal containers. An eerie silence hung in the air like a thick mist, making it hard to breathe. There wasn't a soul alive in the usually busy area except for a black cat with ragged fur and crusted ears from old battle wounds.

A very unsettling thought buried itself in Loki's mind, one that he hoped was not true. "Bob?" he called out tentatively, not too loud but still loud enough to be heard.

"Hey!" replied the older man with enthusiasm, looking at the ground beneath his feet as if it was the first time he'd seen it. "This place isn't fully deserted. There's still some footprints." Loki could tell that Bob was still worried and was trying to convince himself that the new discovery had to mean something positive. Anything was better than this awful gut-wrenching emptiness.

"Get out of here," Loki suddenly urged.

His friend did not listen. He was too emerged in his discovery.

_I called him a friend…_

Stranger things had happened before. He wouldn't dwell on his word choice for too long. Before giving it another thought, he shouted in Bob's general direction, hoping to get through to the stubborn old man. "Bob! Get out of here right now!" That had to get the attention of the previously homeless man, along with the possibility of other unwanted listeners as well.

Bob's feet shifted quickly in the mud. He backed away upon hearing the warning call of his friend. This place was abandoned.

No. Not abandoned.

Left behind to rot and gather dust.

An inhuman noise suddenly sounded from the nearby walls, deep within the shadows cast by a sharp jutting ledge. Whatever had been hiding in the darkness was slowly awakening from the noise caused by the two men wandering around. The thing made a noise—a signal, a sound that was a strange combination of a scrape, a screech, and a hiss.

"What is that?" panted Bob, already losing his breath after a few meters while cursing his horrible stamina.

Loki despised what he had to do next even if he had no other right choice. His will to survive was far greater than the bruising that would be done to his ego. His usually nimble fingers fumbled in the pocket of his vest as he searched for a small device. After finding his phone he hit the first button on speed-dial, automatically connecting him to Jarvis.

"Sir—" Jarvis began, but Loki quickly cut him off.

"Get Anthony right now!" Loki yelled, turning his head as he heard the sound he'd been dreading.

_They_ were here.

* * *

Thank you for having the patience to wait for updates, reading and generally liking the story.

feel free to leave a review for me to feed off.

special thanks to sinister banana my beta for this chapter


	22. Chapter 22

Disclaimer: i do not own marvel.

Chapter 22

It was late in the afternoon when the good Captain returned from his dealings with S.H.I.E.L.D., bringing with him a certain long-haired Asgardian warrior who was currently invading the kitchen cabinets on a desperate quest for snacks and sweet goods.

"Friend Steve! Where can I find those tarts that pop? For I am growing hungry."

"Sorry Thor, Tony's assistant Locke banned all sweets for now." Steve tried to explain how large quantities of sugar, caffeine, alcohol, or fat could be hazardous for a human body. Considering the way Tony always ate, there was concern for his well being. Thor, being who he was, did not seem to grasp this concept. His blond bearded face had a a mix of serious contemplation and childlike worry engraved on it.

"This assistant of the Man of Iron must wield great power to banish food and other consumable's from this tower." Enthusiastically he put his fist down on the table. "I would like to meet this warrior!" Right now the all-American hero was glad that most of the furniture commonly used had been reinforced. Any regular old table would have split in half by such a force.

"Locke's not a warrior, he just, well. It's his job to take care of Tony."

Thor frowned. "He is like a housemaid?"

"No, no, no, not at all. Locke makes sure that everything keeps running around here more or less. He does all the work that Tony doesn't want to do, including keeping tabs on his health." A crease between the thunderer's eyes betrayed that he was in deep thought over Steve's words. "This man carries a big responsibility on his  
shoulders; the Man of Iron does not lead a simple life." The blond captain nodded in agreement.

"I suppose he does if you put it that way."

"Who does what now?" Added Tony into the conversation, immediately granting a place in the discussion for himself.

"You're a difficult man Tony." Replied Bruce while cleaning off his glasses.

"We are discussing the worth of your aide friend, Tony. He seems to be an interesting man. Yet I regret his decision about the food, for I was longing for some tarts that pop."

"You and me both, Pointbreak." Said the engineer, holding a smile on his face while inside him turmoil waged. Thor was here, and earlier than expected. Did he know Tony wondered who this assistant was? All coherent thoughts abandoned him when a familiar yet frantic voice came from the speakers.

"Get Anthony, right now!" Before the strange and alarming call for help from Locke was fully formulated, Tony Stark was already outside.

Metal clasped around his foot, binding him in a recognizable red and gold pattern. His face held a serious stance of concern, his tall fair-haired assistant, Loki, was not one prone to ask for help. The fact that Jarvis immediately relayed the message on the open communication line running in Stark tower said enough. Their pleasant  
normal day was over.

This was further confirmed by the eerie unreal sound they heard on the background. Whatever it was came closer as they heard Locke shouting to his companion.

"Bob, you better start running again. Stark are you there?"

"Already suiting up." Whatever was roaming around on the other side of the phone connection was close enough to be recognized. Each of the Avengers could hear it before a loud crack killed of the connection.

Chitauri.

Bruce could not go, it was out of the question currently. Steve was already running off to get into his blue uniform. Thor stood outside in his ever present battle armour, right next to Iron Man. Any sign of merit on the Asgardian's face was gone. Now it stood deadly stern.

Thor looked at his iron-clad friend.

"Let us go, Man of Iron." A hammer swung and thunder breached out in the skies above. The fastest of the Avengers took flight.

It did not escape the engineer's sharp mind that the broad-shouldered god knew where to go. Thor only appeared to be following him at first glance, but his keen senses could not be fooled by it. And the look the blond-bearded man held on his visage was one he had seen before. Thor was heading straight towards his brother.

The first movement Tony picked up on his visor was a short bald man running as if his life depended on it, Bob. Thor managed to grab the exhausted man by his shoulders, steadying him and helping him stand up. The older man was completely out of breath but seemed to otherwise undamaged.

"Are you unharmed, human friend?" stated Thor carefully. In between ragged breaths bob managed to speak.

"Yes I …. Not harmed.." Iron man landed in the mud, asking immediately the question laying heavy on his mind.

"Where is Locke?"

"He killed …one of them." Slowly the older man with the big moustache got more air in his lungs, speaking with more clarity. "He told me to  
run." Inside the mask unseen by the others Tony asked Jarvis to scan the area for other signs of life.

"Checking for vital signs and body heat signatures sir." Brown eyes widened, small wrinkles lining them with absolute worry, followed the blue line of the scan from the inside. He looked around, and even re-did the scan. But besides the three of them he picked up no other heat signatures.

"Still out there Stark, he is still out there… he turned blue before he…" Bob was able to stand up straight again, having regained his breath, though his heart was still racing like a bullet.

Thor stared at Iron Man, taking note of the concern in his fellow warrior's voice.

"He is alive, although I fear that I cannot give my aid. Man of Iron, you must go alone."

Loki is alive.

The thought filled him with relief and a sigh escaped him. Who would have ever guessed that he, a savior of the city, would ever feel glad to know a former villain intent on destroying and ruling, was alive and well? The other Avenger was staring at him. He could feel those honest piercing eyes drilling holes in his armour.

"What's wrong Pointbreak?"

"You worry for him." The broad-shouldered warrior replied.

"Of course I worry for him, I am his boss after all. Sort of." Thor had a big goofy smile on his face that was entirely inappropriate, considering the fact that somebody was attacking here. Even Bob noticed it, and shot the bulky blond man a weird look.

"You are his friend! This is good news." Declared Thor enthusiastically with a loud booming voice.

Bob shot him this look that said 'is this guy for real?' Tony could only give the older man a small nod.

"But you must be weary my friend, he is not wh…" The big Asgardian stopped talking, in conflict whether he should share his knowledge or not.

Tony decided to prick the Asgardians thought bubble himself. "You still think of him as your brother, don't you?"

"Of course I do, it does not matter to me that he - !" Thor stopped and looked deadly serious at him. "You tricked me Man of Iron." His blue eyes shot a warning glare to his comrade.

"Stay here and wait for Cap. Ask him to get Bob to the nearest hospital. I will go after your brother. Do not tell the others, they're better off not knowing this." With that he left. There were better things to do now then face an angry, tricked god.

"Jarvis, scan the area for movements." His suit would need cleaning for mud clung to his metal boots, their weight pressing them deeper into the earth with each step. A cold dead alien body lay in the wet earth, lifeless and limp. It had been a fast death, this much he could tell. How did this happen? It brought him back to Bob's words 'he turned blue'.

There was still a trail in the mud. Something or somebody had dragged itself away from this spot, off between the run-down shacks some could call home. Loki knew he was here, this hiding was deliberately. The other man refused to be found in this mysterious blue state he was in, the movement scan turned out to have no results.

He started to perform another scan for heat signatures when an idea popped out in his head. Back when Loki was "imprisoned" in the glass holding cell his signature was inhumanly cold.

"Jarvis search for signatures below thirty-two degrees Fahrenheit, show anything that is out of the ordinary."

His warm brown eyes followed the scan, calmly resting on an area straight ahead of him. It stood out, highlighted, emitting an unusual colder temperature compared to the rest of the area. A deep chill sat in its center, a rarely seen cold even during the heart of winter.

Loki.

He approached slowly but steadily, faceplate still in place for whatever trouble may be laying ahead in the shadows.

"Stark." Came a voice from the dark, laced with venom and contempt; Loki's voice. The audible sound of a crazy madman on the brink of snapping.

And this insanity Tony's to break, finding the man hidden beneath it.

"Locke."

"You would do well by turning around, and heading back to that tower of yours." Retorted Loki, almost as if it was an accusation. A dare towards the other man, accept it or face what was dwelling here.

"Yeah, not happening, not without you. So get out of there. The tower is your home too." Light-hearted words rang with uncomplicated truth. The man in gleaming armour hoped they would be heard. A rough laugh was heard, and the other man stirred in his hiding.

"Home, Stark? Monsters like me have no homes. I do not belong in that tower, nor anywhere else."

"You're not a monster, just a pain in my ass." Barely a few feet away from the shade in which his assistant was hiding Tony stopped moving. He could sense the will of the other man, that deep warning chill running in the air, like a barrier keeping him from his goal, pushing him away from what he wanted. "Come out will you? I promise not to run away screaming like a girl."

"You do not know what you ask Stark." Replied Loki, while he slowly rose from his seated position. If this tiny ignorant insect wanted to see what foul thing he was, who was he to deny him the horrible vision? With an antagonizing slow pace the ex-god walked out of the dark covers of the shade, carrying himself with all the elegance of royalty.

What walked towards him was nothing like the monstrous image his brain had conjured. No fearless pointed horns to strike with, or antlers. Neither were there sharp snarling teeth, or a ruthless blue-scaled beast ready to strike at his defiance.

What stood in front of him was otherworldly, unreal, and beautiful

Big fully red eyes, like the color of dripping blood, stared at him, filled with a variety of emotions, exploring him. Anger, hate, and even a hint of doubt started crossing them as he gave no reaction at all. Alien orbs stared at him, demanding a reaction.

Cerulean blue covered his skin, here and there hints of other alien hues. No scales, horns, spikes, or other horrid blemishes could be seen uncovered from his viewpoint. Yet a myriad of swirling lines, a well thought out natural design covered Loki's body. Tony's eyes traced them from behind the mask. Round lines and curves on an angled face disappeared under the hemline of his shirt. Strength of will was applied not to imagine how Loki would like naked in this form.

Loki was a tall predator, all strong lean muscles under blue skin. Piercing red eyes burned him from the inside out. Mortal, alien, and godly.

The gold plate lifted automatically from his face, the air his breath caused could be seen as he spoke.

"I told you before to use my name."

A catlike grin spread on Loki's blue frost giant face, a heritage he still cursed, even if had not only saved his, but also the life of another.

"Anthony." The name was almost spit out.

This new alien Loki neared him now that his gold mask was removed and the cold air stroked his face. He stared at him, studying the lines and expressions of Tony's face like a stern judge. Tony blurted out the first thing that sprung alive inside his mind.

"You have beautiful eyes, one of my favorite colours even."

"A fearless joker, that is what you are. Not even a decent bit in you knows when to stop." Yet Loki knew, eyes never told lies. And those brown knowledge-filled orbs of the engineer did not flicker or falter as he spoke. Their aim stayed steady and true, on him and nothing else.

A muddied golden-clad foot stepped forward, straight into the personal bubble of the blue-skinned man. It might have been an illusion but Tony swore he could feel the temperature rise a fraction.

"I don't see a monster at all, as a matter of fact I'm quite turned on right now. It's very uncomfortable." Tony looked at the confusion running through those mesmerizing crimson eyes.

This mortal man was incredibly stupid, for who spoke out loud their longing for a vile Jotun such as him? And meant it.

"No." Anthony did not want him, only what he saw. The idea of Locke. "You do not crave me, you lie without realizing it."

"Hell no, I don't care what or who you are anymore. It's way too late for that now. You're a cold-hearted stupid asshole but I like you." Tony almost swallowed his last words, but it was sink or swim now that he said it out loud. He just severely hoped this whole thing would not blow up directly in his face. Two hands curled around his metal scaled neck, a warning signal. Pissed-off eyes starred at him with intent and burning with anger or something close to it.

"Fool, you still lie to me!" The cool, gold metal beneath his hands did not freeze under his touch, no matter how he willed it to.

"I should kill you here and now, this would be most merciful of me."

"You can't kill me." Retorted Tony, swatting the blue hands away, no harm was done to him thanks to the suit's protection. That cold clasp would have left a burn otherwise. He inched closer, pressing in a vague smile forming on his face. "You don't want to kill me."

The ex-god caught the doubt those last words were dipped in. Anthony was unsure of whether he would live or not when Loki cast his judgment, his words nothing but a bluff. Yet his own claim was nothing but a warning lie, because inside Loki raged a dilemma. No longer could he muster up burning hate towards the other. The will to grab him by the throat and rip out the arc reactor was gone. Just a dull fading idea left in the back of his mind. This man had started to etch himself onto his heart. Rather than simply killing him and bringing a swift end he wanted to pull the armoured engineer closer and ravish him with kisses, bites, and all those other things that could draw out sweet moans.

Tony's gloved hand remained placed on the glacial hand, detecting the temperature. His thoughts had been accurate; the temperature had been rising gradually. The blue palm was still freezing and cold but it could be touched by Tony's own hand without leaving frostbite.

"I want you to kiss me." Voiced Tony in an almost demanding yet deadly serious tone. It was definitely a dare, a challenge he wanted the other to risk taking.

"Of all humans I have ever met, you are by far the most arrogant, ignorant, and impulsive." His eyes roamed the sun kissed skin of the other. Oh, and at this moment he wanted to fill in that request gladly, but he had believed in the lies of others for long enough to just give in. Still there was something unseen and untold hanging between them. The leftover apprehension, still silent, caused friction in the air.

"To ask this now without knowledge of what kind of creature I truly am is most ludicrous. This vile blue colour hides more than what your eyes see. It does not tell you of what great chaos I ha-….."

Tony rolled his eyes at the dramatic speech; it was like reliving Shakespeare in the park all over again. With the added height his robotic suit provided him he was almost as tall as the other man. He might as well make it of good use now.

"Shut up, you're just as stupid as I am Loki." Tony did not want to wait for a vocal reaction; he actually feared what might come with this confession. The best way to shut another person up was always with a kiss.

Those soft, slightly pink lips burned when they locked around his. The pure human heat radiated off them like a furnace, scorching his dark-blue mouth as they touched. It was a desperate silencing kiss, the kind that took your breath away and forced you to welcome its embrace. Strong, forceful, and inescapable was that mouth pushing away his cold glacial skin which with each lingering caress, Loki could feel that flare of heat eating away at his cerulean blue cover, tearing it down piece by piece. Slowly, smooth, pale skin came back, accompanied by a flush of red that was no longer a sign of aggression or shame, just Loki's own devious need for this aggravating idiot of a man, the one who wanted him in all his inhumane glory.

A pause, a short second to gather breath and urgently fill those lungs with air. Enough for a singular thought to press itself to the surface, breaking free from the shackles of the body. Anthony had honestly wanted every part of him, holding full knowledge of what that meant. How could this have escaped him? It had laid beneath the waves of consciousness until it got fished out. Now it lay bare, ready to be thrown back into the sea of forgetfulness. Or to be gutted, skinned and eaten alive.

Before the engineers lips sought him out again he all but hissed out a question.

"For how long!?" And an accusation. "Did you knew who I was?"

"Does it even matter?" Tony replied holding a pale toned hand in his armoured grasp. All of that gorgeous blue had faded, revealing the familiar blond-haired face of his assistant., whose blue eyes roamed his face in a most peculiar, almost possessive, way.

"No, it does not hold any meaning. There is only one unexpected thing now that remains." Said Loki, something between a laugh and an evil grin lingering on his lips, giving way to a very human expression on his face, one that made Tony Stark kiss him once more.

* * *

Again thank you guys for taking the time to read this, you're all wonderful.

Feel free to leave a review, i eat them as breakfast^^

special thanks to my beta for this chapter, tragic guardian!


	23. Chapter 23

disclaimer: i do not own marvel

**Chapter 23**

The golden god had always known where his adopted brother resided. Or rather: the human man, that once was his beloved younger sibling. Not that Thor ever thought he had one less family member, those were facts he did not want to face. In fact, the way his fellow earthly warriors spoke of this "Locke", the name Loki chose to go by on Midgard, filled him with memories of a younger and very different kind of Loki. Not the chaotic mad one trying to take over this world. The one who used to be his mischievous trickster of a brother, the one that could sweettalk himself out of any dangerous situation. Someone better who could actually laugh heartedly or give a warm smile. It gave him faith, a faint spark of hope flickering in his big, strong heart.

His mind spun backwards in time, recalling the ease with which emotions chanced on the visage of his comrade and friend Tony. A mere fraction of a moment was all it took to go from a warm laughing expression, to a serious tight lipped one laced with worry. The joker, the playboy was gone, replaced by a man with naught but worry for a friend. Even Thor had trouble comprehending this new found friendship between these two unlikely candidates. Yet who was he to judge, especially if you considered that his younger sibling seemed to have returned fractions of his old self into his behaviour.

Even more astonishing was that the Man of Iron knew and accepted that this "Locke" was a mere disguise, to survive in the human world without being immediately noticed. His friend had even tricked him into spilling words from his lips that he otherwise could not have spoken under his promise to Odin. For that he was slightly angered, over time Thor had come to be weary of tricks. But this one let him know that he could place his trust in the Man of Iron, who was probably the only human willing to aid a former adversary.

Thor waited until the red and gold armor was out of his field of vision, to bring the one called Bob to the Midgardian healers. His arrival at the large, sullen white building had caused some chaos and distress. Jane had often reprimanded him about suddenly flying head on into things. It scared weaker humans, subjecting them to panic, even if it was meant well. A set of Midgardians dressed in white robes took the man away for care; one of them asked if he needed anything tended as well. Politely Thor had refused this for he was healthy, fit and strong, not even a sweat worked up. That, and he held a great dislike for the Midgardian way of healing after a series of unfortunate incidents during his short exile.

Proudly Thor stood outside, waiting for his fellow Avenger to meet him there. Hopefully with an uninjured human named Locke. Impatience also reigned in his veins for the wait took too long, and worst case scenarios popped into his mind. What if Loki let the bitter emotions stirred up by his jotun look get to him. That mad glare back in his eyes, at the sight of unwanted freezing, cold power. What if that unlikely friendship they formed broke down beneath it?

Every passing breath, his worry grew, accompanied by a frown on his forehead. Possible good, bad or worse scenes played out in his imagination. Thor's luck struck when a familiar sound came closer and closer, lifting his spirits immediately. The Man of Iron slowed down for landing, bringing along with him another living being. Finally his comrade returned, this time with Loki.

If the fair-haired Asgardian could describe the other person the first word would be displeased. Or disgraced at being carried to the hospital, anything but happy at least. It looked like the Man of Iron had simply scooped him up after a feint protest. One that would carry on in heated discussion later, judging by the look on that strict face.

Secondly the broad-shouldered warrior would describe the man he saw as Asgardian. Half-long golden locks of hair hung just above the shoulders, its ends curling upwards, a single tress of blond hair hanging in front of the face defiantly. Eyes much like his; bluer than any sea on Midgard, yet colder and more distant. The only notable difference was his un-Asgardian build, tall and lean muscled instead of the regular more bulky broad-shouldered people.

He watched as his comrade got a disapproving finger from the tall stranger, waving in a agitated way in front of his face. Tony could be seen rolling his eyes at this while sprouting some verbal nonsense. With a smirk the tall man replied drawing a paler face from the Man of Iron. Slowly a warm mischievous smile crept up in the corner of that mouth. There and then Thor recognized Loki. It took every ounce of willpower in his body not to shout out or bear-hug him. For it had been years since he saw his brother hold a smile with such mirth.

* * *

A sensual kiss provided enough distraction for Tony to wrap his metal clad arms tightly around Loki. The brown-haired genius found it superbly hard to leave those warm moist lips. Their confines and heated clutches foretelling more delirious want, too much for him to handle right now. His red and gold armor was not fitted for endeavours like these. But surely adjustments could be made, bearing in mind future purposes.

Yet now their link had to come to an unfortunate ending. With his teeth he raked the trickster's bottom lip, gently pulling it before removing himself. He let out a soft whisper in one of the ex-gods ears." Hold on tight highness."

The gold faceplate snapping shut gave Loki a kick back into reality. Objection immediately rose inside of him, surely Anthony would not dare to abuse this current situation. Of course Loki himself would, that was normal. But for him to be tricked into this current predicament was shameful. "Anthonaaaaaaah." Before his strict velvet voice could form the rest of his warning words. A shout was drawn out by the force in which Iron Man's thrusters lifted them up into the sky. And firm cold metal hands grabbed him, pulling him close, into an uncomfortable position against the armor.

Tony unhanded his cursing assistant whose blond hair hung wild around his pale face. Panting for air while a dull flame of anger burned behind those upsetting beautiful blue eyes." Yeah I know, it was the best ride you ever had. Not every guy gets carried by the one and only Iron Man, superhero extraordinaire. So can I get my reward soon? As in right now?" Said Tony with a cocky smile on his face.

"You think yourself worthy of reward and praise, Anthony?" questioned Loki trying to gain control of the incredible mess that the wind had made of his hair. His head simply looked like a war-zone in panic, a true disaster.

Tony's lips were still raised in that arrogant smile as that wild tangled hair gave him rather sexy thoughts." We're both alive and in one piece, that has to count for something." retorted the engineer while his warm brown eyes traced pale fingers combing through golden locks.

A grin slowly started on his sharp angular face. Loki looked at the brown-haired engineer without anger or resentment in his eyes. For some reason it was a struggle to keep angry at the other man. One that he lost in the end, for something else settled itself within his mind now. It was akin to lust but without the rough animalistic edge. Pure desire was stirring itself, making known that it would have this shorter man soon. This new found emotion was more intense than raw lust in a way. His mind was filled with clarity now, gone was the haziness and clouded thought-filled mind.

"Oh?" He spoke with a raised eyebrow. "Well, to be deadly serious, I hardly find you deserving of any reward Stark." Loki replied stoic, noting the happy glint in those brown eyes fading. And he smiled from enjoyment, before his silver tongue turned his voice back into liquid sex." But I might deem it necessary to punish you."

Tony was one hundred percent sure that all the blood had vanished from his head. Giving him the strangest pale faced look, as blood accumulated in another area. Now more than ever his suit proved too restricting. And with the way Loki smiled devilishly at him, right now he wasn't entirely sure his armor had or had not made a loud "clang" sound in his groin area. "You bastard." He muttered, knowing that he had to walk around, probably feeling highly uncomfortable. The engineer narrowed his eyes and stared back at those blue orbs. "You did this on purpose, ass."

"One can hardly claim that. For I held no intent on doing anything to you, right now. You reap what you sow, Anthony." With this, he turned around, indicating that the conversation was over. Foot by foot he started to travel towards the hospital entrance.

Iron Man was flashy and popular enough to attract attention in mere seconds. Already he could see curious people from the corner of his eye. He felt the need to get out before it became too crowded. That, and he wanted to see how Bob was doing, his friend… The one human he had protected, perhaps even saved from inevitable death. Still he was not sure why he had done this, telling the other man to run while he …shifted. The "old" Loki would never have done this, wanting a mere insect saved without any purpose, it was a thing for ridicule. Helping one was even worse, yet regret for this could not be found in his heart right now.  
What lingered now was a feeling of fright and surprise at the change his body suddenly went through. A great cosmic joke made by the All-Father.

So much for being human, but when it came down to it he could still wield deep cold power against an enemy. But why had he never felt this presence before? Why now? What was different than before?

The answer was simple: he had wielded it with the intention of protecting a thing.

_Oh by the nine…._

Loki froze in his footsteps when he saw Thor, with his god-awful trademark smile looking at him, or rather past him. It was a thing of annoyance to see it, like an itch under your fingernails. You could scratch it, yet not reach it. Unless you pulled your nails off and revelled in the soothing look of them bleeding. It was a gruesome, pleasant smile that Loki would have loved to wipe off that face.

Permanently.

The golden warrior stepped forward; his leather covered feet steady and happy. It was sickening to see him like that. Much to Loki's surprise though, the god did look past him, or at least made an attempt not to concentrate on him. It was a strange thing to behold. No doubt it would demand plenty of restraint on Thor's behalf. It was almost admirable…almost.

"Friend Tony." Boomed Thor in his clear, loud voice. "Tis good to see you and your assistant unharmed and safe from any dangers. Did you have a good battle?"  
Tony walked the last few steps towards the awaiting Thor, discomfort evident with each step. "There was no battle Thor."

"Man of Iron, you are hurt! Should I call for the healers?" noted the Asgardian warrior upon seeing his friend limp slightly in his suit.

"No that won't be necessary. Just sprained a muscle, nothing bad. It'll go away soon." I hope… "But enough about me; where is Bob, I'm sure that is the question on my assistant's lips as well."

"The one called Bob was taken in by your Midgardian healers, I do not know where for I did not enter." With this, the blond warrior finally paid attention to his younger sibling. One he could no longer ignore, out of fear that he might burst open and shout out his name in greeting." It is good to see you safe Locke, friend Tony was worried about you. Your friend Bob is inside, he was worried for you." It was strange to use that name, equally hard to keep a straight face. Expectantly he looked at Loki waiting for a reply.

Thor did not greet him as a sibling. As pleasing as this was, it was notably odd. The restraint could be seen on that blond-bearded face with ease. The elder one of them could and would never lie nor hold back like this willingly under normal conditions. Loki concluded quickly that it must have been the All-Fathers doing, just like the cruel joke played on him by turning him into this shell of his former self. It had to be a promise made, an oath sworn not to interfere with anything concerning him.. Yet that big idiot radiated the truth now that he faced his once younger "brother". "Stupid oaf." Was all he said before ignoring this foolish, amateuristic theatre piece Thor thought he was performing.

After the grumpy looking ex-god had left completely, Tony had to ask. " He called you a stupid oaf, and still you're smiling?"

"Of course, friend Tony." replied Thor, as if it was the most idiotic question one could ask of him.

"Not a man of many words are you? I mean: why are you still smiling, after he called you a stupid oaf?" Perhaps a different way of formulating his question could get a clear explanation from the Thunderer.

Tony's raised eyebrow told him that his fellow Avenger required a longer answer. "The mad man you saw when the Chitauri invaded this world, was nothing like my little brother… Perhaps only a little bit. This person is my little brother, it feels as if he is returning."

Tony could live with that last reply, since it was true indeed. Who would have guessed that this former villain could care for a human life, let alone enough to willingly save that person. Who would have ever dreamt him truly capable of raw passion and heated desire-filled glances? Loki even was somewhat pleasant to live with... if you could cope with tricks, lies and imaginary health problems throughout the day.

When the elevator doors slid open, Loki could see a mop of familiar hair, accompanied by a voice he had hoped never to hear again. Just behind her, he could perceive the tall short-haired Steve Rogers, looking like he wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. Their eyes met and the ex-god was met with this pleading puppy-eyed look. The young nurse kept on chatting; bombarding the all-American hero with questions and useless comments. And all his face kept saying was " Help me, get me out of here."

Loki was almost feeling sorry, right up until the point Rogers called out for him. "Locke! It's good to see you in one piece."

At the mention of this name the woman almost made a happy jump." Locke! Oh it's been so long. How are you feeling? Do you need a check-up?"

_No I don't need you feeling up my legs again, whiny insignificant woman._"Hello Samantha."

"Already told you to call me Sandy, darling."

What did she just call me, the nerve she has. He noted that Rogers was feeling relieved to get the attention off him. Purposely Loki gave him the coldest stare he could currently muster.

"See I was just talking about your stay here to Mr. Rogers." she retorted while pointing to the uncomfortable man.

"Yes, how kind of you to do so. Could you show me my friend's room?" asked the ex-god, clearly annoyed by the fact that she kept stalling the conversation, keeping him from reaching his goal.

"Of course" she replied with a tender smile." He's the one that used to visit you, isn't he? " Slowly she started moving, walking towards the end of the hallway. Unfortunately, she also kept on rambling, producing unnecessary noise.

Her attention turned back to Steve Rogers, making the tall blond assistant believe he was relatively safe and sound. Her words however, proved him oh so wrong.  
"Did you know I accidently asked him out on a date the last time? God, I made such an ass out of myself." She blushed, remembering the whole scene.

_Please somebody strangle that creature so she shuts up._ Thought Loki.

"why?" Asked Steve in all honesty. " I think it is courageous of you to do so. It requires guts and dare to ask another for a date. Even if that person rejects you." Leave it up to the honest Captain America to question this. Making her form even more unneeded words.

"Oooooh you don't know do you?" Retorted the aggravating nurse, with a tone of surprise in her voice. " Well I'll leave you to find out for yourself. Here is the room you're looking for, come and drop in more often, Locke. Unharmed of course, bye!."

"What don't I know? Locke help me out here." Rogers asked politely.

" Some things are better left alone Rogers." Loki replied to him before opening the door. He should not feel surprised to see Iron man there.

"What?! I flew in. You can't expect Iron Man to take the elevator." Said Tony arrogantly, abruptly noting a look of disagreement on the good Captain's face.

"Tony, really, you flew in? This is a hospital; what were you thinking?" came the calm logical voice of Steve from the doorway. Still with a look of confusion on his face, wondering what the heck that nurse had meant. But he did not feel the need to pry right now, after all they had just come back from whatever was going on. Still he took a mental note to ask later, Steve hated being kept in the dark about things.

"I don't expect anything of you, Anthony." said Loki to the engineer, relieved that Thor had wisely decided to stay out of the hospital. Yet he still felt Rogers' stare aimed at him, wanting to ask questions he hated to answer.

"So you call him Anthony, eh? It's good to see you make friends Highness." came a raspy voice from under the bed covers. "Sorry, still out of breath it seems. And tell the nurse to get rid of this thing, I feel fine." said Bob who was hooked on an infusion, which was currently slowly dripping fluid into his veins .

"Sir, with all due respect, but from what I gathered you are not ready yet to leave the hospital or this room." came the Captain's rational voice, filled with respect yet demanding to be listened to.

"Well they can't expect me to stay here for this li'l thing." noted Bob, raising his arm to show a strange burn around the wrist. "Ya know you could have warned me 'bout them magic hands Highness.

"Magic hands.. Sir, are you alright?" asked Steve worriedly, looking over the wound, recognizing it for what it was. "How exactly did you end up with frostbite?". With this he looked up at Locke , an eyebrow raised in question.

"I…" Started Loki off, not having known that he had given the man a wound like this. It had taken him by surprise.

"He saved me damn ass, that's what he did. Froze one of them ugly bastards right up." Bob's attention went back to the ex-god, a warm smile under his big moustache." Boy, now more than ever I'm happy for finding you back then. God knows how it would have ended without you."

"Yet this is my fault" replied Loki, carrying a softer tone then usual. For they were here for him, searching, scavenging, gathering resources if they could.

"Listen Highness, you had a run in with one of those things before. One that, considering the horrible state I found you in, wasn't that pleasant. But that doesn't make it your fault. I live, you live and that's all that truly matters to me. "The elder man let out a small laugh. "Heck! You even have cool superpowers, literally." Everybody stayed notable calm at this except for one, still confused person.

Steve blinked at this revelation. "He what!...Tony?" He said before looking at his friend, who clearly was not as profoundly confused as himself. Clearly the engineer knew this, why was this valid piece of information withheld from him?

"He's a mutant" It blurted out of Tony's mouth before he could control his words. And before Loki could speak on his own behalf.

"Why did you forget to mention this to me?" asked Steve in a disappointed tone, he hated it when people did not keep an open book. He knew Tony had his secrets, but this was ridiculous.

"Look Steve, don't get your panties in a twist." Tony tried to reason." We'll explain what happened later when everybody is back in the tower. I'm sure Bob and Locke here could go without an argument right now. That, and it saves me having to explain it twice."

"Could you two be silent !" Said Loki with a loud, clear voice holding a certain pissed off tone. Both men instantly held their mouths, looking at him with big eyes." Very well, as Anthony said all will be cleared up later. Now If you'll excuse me I would like to talk to Bob alone." Loki was sick and tired of all the unwanted interferences for today.

The ex-god saw that Steve blushed a bit from shame while giving an accepting nod, leaving with understanding. Tony Stark on the other hand was more troublesome, proving reluctant in leaving." Anthony, out now." His tone was low, not dangerous or insane. But it certainly held a promise of revenge if it was ignored. Brown eyes looked at him, filled with hidden worry.

"Ok, ok I got it. I'll be going. Just be all right when you get back home, ok?" Said the brown-haired engineer, before he was either dragged or pushed out of the hospital room. Trying not to sound the slightest bit worried. Deep down inside hoping that Loki would not have some strange kind of blue relapse. He caught those beautiful blue eyes, but their expression did not give anything away as the door shut in front of him.

When the ex-god turned around the smile on Bob's face had vanished into thin air. His lips now in a rarely seen serious line, something akin to sadness on his otherwise calm face. "You knew what they are." It was a statement, not a question" Tell me honestly Locke, where are my friends?"

The downward heading mood struck Loki, giving him unwanted sentiment and a strange feeling of loss. Lies would and could not come, for his freakishly human heart wanted to speak the truth. " I don't know."

"Highness that's bullshit, you have to know something. Now I won't press you to talk about past experiences. But ya gotta give me something to go on here." asked Bob, awaiting another answer patiently.

The kind older man wasn't angry, not in the least bit. But he was disappointed, somehow this gave the trickster an awful bitter feeling. He had told the truth had he not? Was this not a thing that made humans feel better or more relieved? Then why had nothing changed? Why did this foreboding mood still cover the air around him? " I really do not know. But I can tell you that the Chitauri need a voice, a leader. Otherwise they would not handle like this, so efficiently."

"What will happen to them? Are they even alive? Please tell me they are Locke, I already lost everything once." Grief ran in Bob's voice strongly, like a current heading to a waterfall.

"Before i… in the past they needed humans to do labor for them. Creating the finer things their claws could not. My guess and hope is that. If not, then I fear the worst." A long sigh escaped Loki, letting him know exactly how tired and weary he really was. His body making known that it wanted to rest into the warmth of soft thick blankets.

"Why did they have to come back?"

It was not a question, yet human impulse caused Loki to answer. "For me, I fear." The silence around him, accompanied by the stare aimed towards him, made him realize his words." I'm sorry that comment was not supposed to find a voice. I'll take my leave now, for we both seem to need a sufficient amount of sleep."  
"Locke, whatever you went through, whoever you were. Promise this old guy one thing will ya?" Asked Bob, slowly getting his good old comforting smile back.

Intuition told the ex-god all he needed to know. "I'll find them."

Later, during the car ride towards the towers, he realized that he truly did want to find them for Bob. Preferably in one piece and relatively healthy. And he held no understanding of why he felt like that, for it was utterly foreign. This whole day had been filled with a whole variety of new subtle emotions, leaving him to deal with the aftermath now.

Truly he was at a loss, tired and confused right now. For no longer was he a god, he also wasn't a normal human man. Yet now he could not feel the Jotun power streaming cold through his body, only a lingering feeling of power. And one simple question.

_What am I?_

* * *

Thank you guys for reading!

And feel more than welcome to leave a review.

I know this chapter was not action filled, but it was necessary non the less.


	24. Chapter 24

disclaimer: i do not own marvel

But i do love you guys, for having patience ^^

Chapter 24

Observant eyes looked at the ex-god with unspoken questions, waiting until he spoke up and gave them a valid explanation. The eyes of Dr. Banner were the clearest, giving him their full attention; ready to listen to his tale. The Captain's blue eyes still held mild confusion and although they looked friendly now, Loki knew that they could switch to strict and disarming in a heartbeat. And Thor, who already knew the tale and pretended to listen, while stuffing something into his mouth. Probably so he would shut up during this conversation. If he was smart enough.

Anthony's eyes…

Anthony's eyes made him full with doubt about what he should tell them. For he could weave a tale, a story so grand and unbelievable that it could be nothing but true. But this brown-haired engineer would stare straight through him, looking at the plainly obvious lie. If he felt daring, he could let the truth spill from between his lips, shocking honesty could feel so good at the right time. But he would end up bound in shackles, locked up in whatever dark wretched place they could find. Not an event he looked forward to.

There was always the grey area that lay in between the two, the careful combination of fiction and honesty. Enough to satisfy their initial worries, enough to have room for breath. Still he had questions of his own, all of them directed at the troublesome genius. So Loki decided that he would break this devastating silence by talking first.

"I think you've all figured out, like my friend at the hospital…That I have met with these creatures before." Deliberately he left a few seconds in between, dramatic tension could be useful when telling your story. Or at least certain parts of a story that was more or less yours.

"They had this energy source, one that could bind the will of a normal man. Making them no more than mere puppets." As expected Steve nodded in agreement, while the easily angered scientist listened curiously together with Anthony. "For others, persons holding certain power or strength of will it was harder. It held a different effect on everybody and on us…" Loki sighed, letting his eyes roam the room, settling them on those brown orbs looking at him.

"Take for example Anthony, let's say they had him under their spell. Now he's already a pervert."

"Hey I take offence, I'm not a pervert." They all looked at him. "Ok, maybe I am, but what does it have to do with this explanation?"

"Just let the man finish, Tony." Said Bruce softly, making the engineer just roll his eyes and sigh in reluctant compliance.

"So as I was saying." said Loki again, giving Anthony a cold glare for trying to interrupt his moment. "Tony Stark here is a pervert. This different result the energy source can have would by all probability turn him into a notorious sex offender. Even you three would not be safe." The man in question even had the guts to plain out laugh at this. _Idiot._

"And on me….Let's just say I held conflicting emotions at the time they found me… I really am not willing to say more on this subject, I hope you can respect this. It's enough to say my homeless state, sickness and wounds were a direct result of its ending." He signalled the ending of this part by simply leaning against the back of his chair.

"What about your powers why did we not know?" asked Rogers in his Captain voice, making known he could not wrestle out of this part.

"I have to be honest and tell you I thought they were drained. And I was happy for that." Loki noted the surprise in their eyes at what he said, only Banner seemed to carry understanding for his words. "Therefore Anthony did not know, he found out first-hand what I really look like."

"Can you show us?" asked Steve Rogers, his voice now carrying more understanding than before.

"I can't, it is gone now…And I have only an idea of what caused it to return."

Bruce just had to ask, sensing some similarities in how Tony's assistant felt about this mutated form. "Anger?"

The ex-god shook his head in denial; a small mocking laugh escaped his lips. Thor was keeping his eyes on him again, with childlike curiosity lit in them. "No, I merely wanted to protect my friend."

The Asgardian warrior could not help but smile, for him this was joyous news. Not only was Loki referring to the human as a friend, he even admitted to wanting to protect this human. "This is most joyous news!" declared Thor suddenly, he even looked surprised at his own words.

"How do you dare call it joyous, I despise that loathsome form." replied Loki instantly, easily angered by what Thor said. Suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Now now, I think the big guy here meant it well. Bob is safe because of you; you can't tell me you're not happy about this result." Tony hoped he avoided whatever was brewing here between Thor and his ex-adopted alien brother.

Loki's now blue eyes widened. Surprised by the different things caused by that one hand on him, accompanied by that voice. Once again he felt…insecure? It was annoying as hell; humans were such pitiful creatures really. For he felt comfort from that single hand, enough to calm the flare of anger he had felt. For a moment he just could not get any words out to refute Anthony's.

"My apologies I did not mean to upset you." said Thor, seeing now first-hand a real change again, in the man who once was his brother. Still he was not fond of this sudden closeness; it was strange to not see Loki reject a stranger touching him like that. Let alone a man he once fought with so violently.

"Ok." said Tony loudly, grabbing the attention with a big smile on his face. "Now that this is over, let's get this man to bed, he needs his beauty sleep. And I don't want a cranky assistant in the morning."

"Stark… You test my patience. How would you know how I feel right now?" This man kept on messing around, deciding what he should or should not do. Even if he was tired and longing for his bed, the fool held no right.

"You're sleepy, Highness, don't butt in." Tony retorted, hand still on that shoulder.

Steve suddenly felt like he was intruding on something, seeing something he really should not. And he asked himself the question: Does tony even know he is gay? His friend treated every person the same, too many touches, too many remarks. Things could go very wrong here if "Locke" accidently misread these mixed signals. "Tony are you…"

"Yes, yes I am, now go team, off to bed. Especially you Locke, I don't want to see you here when I get back for a drink." Tony spoke while pointing at him with his free hand.

Bruce just nodded and left, it was quite obvious what was going on here for him. He just hoped his friend and lab partner would be more careful or smart this time. Not that he held any doubt about the man's intelligence. But using Tony Stark and careful in the same sentence was rather contradictory.

Steve gave up as well. There was no stopping Tony when he put his mind to something, and he clearly wanted his assistant to get well deserved rest after this tiresome day. The good Captain did hope however that perhaps the man would be willing to let go more of his story in the future.

"Wait" Loki spoke up before everybody left." There is more, or there used to be more people there. Not just me and Bob."

Pushing his glasses up, and Bruce replied." You think the Chitauri have them."

"You are correct in assuming this Dr. Banner. And I want in on the search, I made a promise to the old man I would help looking for them. One I fully intend on keeping." Loki could feel Thor's stare in his back. He hoped those wretched blue eyes would pop out, just so that he could "accidently" step on them.

"Alright." Said Steve in his friendly but commanding Captain voice. "But in return you help us. You've lived with them, or near them, that much is clear. And I want every speck of Intel that can assist us now. "

The ex-god thought it over; balancing out the risks he was taking by giving advice to an entire team of adversaries. They were great and many; everything could go wrong ending up in complete and utter disaster. But on the other side he could learn, who knew what knowledge he could gain during this entire run?

That, and he felled compelled to say yes, so he gave the blond man a nod. "Agreed Captain Rogers."

At this, the man in question smiled, extending a hand to seal the deal. "Ok Locke, you've made yourself another promise. Goodnight." After this, Steve followed Bruce, who was already waiting at the elevator doors with Thor. The latter of the three looked rather uncomfortable right now, his eyes flickering towards him and Anthony before the elevator doors closed.

"That's a lot of promises you made there Loki, think you can keep them?" asked Tony, knowing both of them were finally alone, for the time being. It was a risky question that arose from him, one that he had to ask though. For his teammates would certainly ask much, perhaps things that the ex-god had to answer with extreme reluctance. The engineer had to be sure that Loki truly wanted this.

After more than a full month of absence, his name on another's lips sounded strange, unreal even. "I have always kept my promises Stark. Even if this is hard to believe for the likes of you" hissed the tall blond, dissatisfied by this accusation directed at him. "I merely worked around them when it suited me. " Loki took note of the sigh that escaped from the shorter brown haired man, the eyebrows betraying a tiny hint of the underlying emotion. "You are worried for me."

"Yes, I am worried for what they will ask. I am worried for what you need to tell them." A pause a curved frown displaying thoughts coursing through the genius brain. "I am worried that they will find out about you."

The moment of silence that followed was heavy with a thick emotion, almost tangible, close by but just beyond his grasp. The ex-god inhaled deeply thinking that perhaps he could taste a sample it if he tried. Perhaps then he could identify this thing making him grown fretful. It almost made him forget the biggest question of them all. The one and only thing that left him amazed at its conclusion.

"Why did you not tell them?" And an unspoken question visible behind the blue sheen of his eyes.

_Why did you stay?_

The line of his worrisome frown faded, kind brown eyes looking upwards to cold interrogating blue ones. No, not cold and icy at all, those cerulean blue eyes held warmth as well. Tony wondered if Loki knew what his eyes portrayed, warmth, uncertainty and a hesitant hint of fear. Not the kind of fear that comes from other people, events or the monsters hidden in your closet. But the fright that came with the terrible unknown. "I didn't want to tell them."

Those strict unrelenting beautiful blue eyes still stared back at him. Not fully satisfied with the given answer, they craved more words and sentences running from his mouth." I don't want you to leave." Me

Tony Stark took a step closer to the tall blond ex-god, unfaltering and steady he spoke. "Look you're not deaf Loki, you heard my words clearly back there. And I really meant them."

"Then you truly are a fool, just like I mentioned you were. But tell me Anthony." The air seemed to crack and sizzle between them, as Loki's held their shared gaze. His long elegant index finger placed itself under the bearded chin of the engineer. Raising the head of its owner promptly but without much added force. " How did you come by your knowledge?"

Back was that smooth alluring rich voice, whispering to him. Tempting him to speak, to act and to reach out and trace the lips from which those melodious words flowed. Oh, but this time he wanted to speak up and say what was lying heavy and heated on his mind. This time he could talk, any repercussions initiated could only be welcomed with open arms. "Remember a few days ago, when you were so incredibly horny."

" I've tried not to Stark." _But you make it hard._

"If you need to, I'm more than willing to re-enact the whole scene. It might trigger that ancient memory of yours." replied Tony with a smirk; one that held a deliciously wanton promise of touches and strokes. "Rock of ages."

"There is nothing wrong with my memory; all visceral functions are working perfectly." His finger slid slowly over the bearded chin, accompanied by its brothers. He held Anthony's face steady between his thumb and fingers. His grip was sufficient, maybe even menacing if you saw it from a distance. But towards the one being held right now, it was nothing short of enticing. "Make your point Anthony."

"Well I remember a similar mood to this one, although more alcohol was involved. Which reminds me; would you care for a drink?" retorted Tony, deliberately stalling his answer, if only because he could.

"I might take a sip or a bite of something, if I'm sufficiently pleased with your answer." replied the tall blond assistant, while licking his lips at the mentioning of tasting something with body temperature. Right now he was enjoying this play, this smouldering tug of war more than ever before. It lacked anger, annoyance or any other particular disturbing feeling their earlier discussions held. Instead it was laced with a strong desire to possess the other rather willing man again. And if this was a war, then Loki would win and enjoy its spoils.

If Tony leant any further forward now their bodies would touch. Delaying was torture, the sweet merciless torture of anticipation that he underwent willingly now. "Afterwards you were spent, panting and tired, so very tired Loki, that you carelessly spilled words. How unlike you." He returned the teasing with a daring undertone, his hands itching to feel the warm body in front of him. Tony laid a finger on Loki's chest, one that rose and sank deeply with each drawn breath. "I swear you're so clingy too, I could not get you off even if I wanted." Agonizingly slow his finger ran down the buttoned dress shirt. Tony wished for it to burn Loki's skin, hoped that his near impossible desire would seep through the tip. "I bet you even forgot that I never apologized."

The ex-god internally cursed his attire when Anthony's finger lingered on the last button of his shirt. Toying with it playfully, as if he did not have a care in the world. Loki wanted his answer sated and impatience started to set its erratic course. The thought of just ending it, pushing Stark to the wall and having his way with him started to seem like a rather tasty option. "You owe me an apology, if it was not for your moronic act of drinking and driving I would have fared better than now."

Loki's hand moved, tracing the curve of his neck, making him shiver in delight. Still the engineer found the will to talk back." You owe me an apology for throwing me out the window."

"Defenestration." Tony heard the the tall blond say, breathing heavily in his spell of lust, finding the vague lost parts stored deeply in the back of his mind.

Tony's hardened length twitched, he'd done nothing and already his arousal was so spiked up. Never in his life had Tony imagined conversations to be laced and dipped in sex like this one. It was vocal foreplay, bringing them both to the edge. "Fuck, you sound like sex personified."

"Hmmmm." Loki's hands started acting on automatic now, tracing the sides of a muscular frame belonging to that annoying, delicious genius. "Well I did use to be a god."

The engineer saw a smirk spread on Loki's face, for Tony this only added to their current aroused state of mind. It only heightened the pleasure he was already feeling, as those cold hands started to roam his body in hunger. That voice, that voice should be forbidden and called a sin. The brown-haired engineer lost himself when the other man's hands found the bulge in his pants. Cupping it and adding antagonizing pressure. A loud cry, a deep ecstasy filled moan escaped his now opened mouth.

An equally hungry set of lips covered his, drawing him into a deep demanding kiss with skill-full tongue play. One he returned instantly with the same kind of crazed merit. Hands rubbed down hard on his crotch, roughly stroking him through the fabric of his pants. Tony still held the button of Loki's dress shirt in his hands, long torn off from the offending cloth. He pulled the article out of Loki's pants, where it was previously carefully tugged in, all but ripping it open, just to have his hands on that alabaster chest with immediate urgency.

Somehow, between his embarrassing moans and Loki's feral low rumble, Tony managed to suggest moving to the nearest bedroom, which was thankfully his own. That would at least save them from stopping for the sake of finding lube.

Neither of them could make the short travel unscathed. The button Stark had held in his hand had fallen on the floor, followed by Loki's dress shirt and the simple Iron Maiden band t-shirt previously worn by the genius billionaire. Right now they could be located at the door frame were the ex-god had pinned down the other man. Lips still locked in licks and hot sloppy kisses, long slender fingers fumbling with the engineer's belt. While the short brown-haired man tried to open the door, severely distracted by the firm touches of the other man.

The door opened and Loki all but pushed Anthony inside, eager to take root on the bed and explore the writhing body in front of him. Finding caverns and hidden crooks that could turn the already lust-consumed man on even more. He slammed the door shut behind them lifting his blazing blue eyes towards the other who stumbled back, the hollow of his knees hitting the bed. Loki hated the short moment in which his hands stopped roaming the other's skin. But granted, he could finally really look at the engineer now, who had let himself fall backwards on the dark crimson bed-sheets.

Brown eyes, heavy and lined with deep all-consuming want stared at him, a cocky knowing smile on Anthony's face as he bit his bottom lip. The engineer knew what he wanted, what they both wanted and was planning on having it. Not that Loki could refuse any longer, not with this deep need nestled inside of him. He watched as the shorter man undid the metal clasp of his black leather belt and raised his hips, to get off those bothersome restricting black pants.

At this point the ex-god wasn't even surprised that he found the man on the bed utterly gorgeous.

Tony watched as a tongue slipped out of Loki's mouth, licking his lips as if he was viewing a tasty meal. And then in the blink of an eye the tall man was there, standing over him at the bed's edge aiding Tony in tugging off his pants. Cold hands slithered back up again to pull and successfully lower his shorts, leaving Tony fully naked on the bed. Smooth velvet kisses traced his inner thigh, as a hand teasingly slid from his knee towards his erect member. It killed the engineer to feel torturous palms so near his aching member, only to move past it and feel up his sides. He voiced his displeasing thoughts by letting out a groan.

The engineer felt Loki smirk at his impatience, only to be rewarded by a sudden wet, hot and very real mouth closing around his member. He could feel his eyes roll back as the ex-god took him in, twisting a skillful tongue that was sure to send his soul to hell. One hard suck before those luscious lips left him was all he got.

"Now that I had a sip it's time to move to the main course don't you think, Anthony?" His voice was dark and deep with the desire he felt. His mouth currently trailing upwards across the muscular frame of the engineer, wanting, needing to taste more of this strange man. Long slender fingers strayed between the dark-brown curls surrounding Stark's erection, finding playful enjoyment as the man in question gasped for air and rocked his hips under his nimble touch.

That teasing thumb and those quick fingers knew when to stop and go, thought Tony as he bucked upwards again. Those rapid speeding strokes were nothing short of devastatingly magical, if he didn't know better he'd say they were exactly that. The ex-god brought him to the brink, only to make him suffer at the last moment. "Shit.. You." He really wanted to speak up, but as Loki's hand twisted, sliding over his oh-so-sensitive head, a frantic moan escaped from him, only to be muted by fierce haunting lips hovering over his.

The engineer's arms snaked around Loki, drawing the man closer to him. Somehow in between their hungry twists of tongue and teeth Tony managed to speak up, although it was more of a demanding growl than an actual sentence." Get out of those pants now."

Yet the ex-god just smirked against his lips. "I'd like to see you try…Stark" As much as he wanted to explore, taste, touch and take delight with Anthony's nude body; a part of him also longed for the other to be more active in his participation. And Anthony had as of yet never passed out on a dare.

Loki was not disappointed when the arms around his back moved, holding him tight as the engineer put his weight against him, flipping them around. Those brown eyes held merit and lust at this dare, and there was no denying the fact that the engineer's body looked utterly hot from this perspective. "I might even let you stay on top if you play nice ,Anthony." said Loki seductively before he rolled his hips, grinding his still covered erection against the other.

"Nnnngh… screw nice." Tony managed to grab the hand that was reaching out to stroke his nether regions again. Pinning it down successfully, although probably not for long, if Loki's grin was anything to go by. The genius swore that he'd never undone a pair of pants faster in his life than now, let alone the pants of another man. Impatient as he was, Loki's underwear was pulled down at the same time, finally freeing the man's lively erect member of its suffocating clutch.

It was very hard not to lick his lips at that sight. But before the brown-haired engineer went any further he scooted over, reaching to his night stand for the lube. On his return, Tony felt adept fingers curl around his penis, setting an anguishing, slow and relentless pace. He wasn't going to last long if Loki kept on his agile playing. "Fuck, Loki I can't last like this,. Either fuck me now or I'll pound you into this mattress myself."

"Tsssk, such harsh words, Anthony." replied the tall naked ex-god watching his lover through his heated gaze. "A shame I can't do anything now, I'm rather occupied at the moment." He brought extra force to his statement by adding some extra pressure to his strokes. "But you're welcome to lend yourself a hand, Anthony."

I'm sleeping with the devil, thought Tony, as he added a sufficient amount of lube on his fingers and reached back. It was a strange, unknown sensation, to be doing such a thing to himself. At least he got to set his own pace now, Tony was not doing this unprepared again,lest he walk crooked for days. As the first finger settled in, stretching and relaxing the tight ring of muscle, he found himself in need of going faster, further, anything to get him opened up. For the devil he straddled showed him no mercy, gradually bringing him closer, before delaying the speed of his cruel caress.

Loki stopped breathing and his heart skipped a beat when Anthony suddenly impaled himself on his throbbing length in one go. He gasped for air, stopping every motion his body made. Both the ex-god and the engineer reveled in this feeling, eyes locked with each other; mouths open in silent moans. Softly Loki bucked his hips upwards, encouraging the shorter man to continue.

No further encouragement was needed for Tony than that look of abandonment and pleasure on Loki's face. The pressing emotions he saw in those deep blue eyes were enough. To keep going, to make that sinful, devious man moan for more as Tony rode him. Soon enough, he found a comfortable pace and started to thoroughly appreciate this position. No wonder women liked to be on top if this was the view, noted the genius at what he saw.

Tony's eyes roamed over Loki, the ever unrelenting cold looking god had come down to what was laying underneath his hips. A gorgeous man whose hands held his hips firmly, whose whole body and expression exuded the pleasure he was feeling. A real, touchable person, who had lost himself in the moment, uncaring of the exquisite noises he was making.

Loki's eyelids where half closed due to the enticing bliss he was feeling as Anthony enthusiastically rode his cock. For a change it did not feel so bad to give up a fraction of control. He dug his nails into the engineer's sides and thrust upwards, making the sweat-covered man cry out in pleasure. Panting and with heavy breath the ex-god managed to speak in a soft lust-filled voice. "Well That certainly hit the spot." Loki met the other man with each move, thrusting deep and slow hitting that sweet spot settled inside.

_Dear god_. Though the brown-haired genius he could not last like this, whatever control he had on top was fading rapidly. That feeling of being full satiated Tony, the piercing assault on his ass left him with dancing white spots in the corners of his eyes. Not a limb in him wanted or could carry on moving on like this. "Loki." He called out the other's name, his real name.

No vocal answer came, but the blue-eyed man looked up at him with a smile on his face. "I can't…Fuck me Loki." Tony whispered. "Take me." He growled.

It did not need to be said twice. The aroused ex-god rose from his position, his member still seated deep inside the other man, and leant forward, giving Anthony the chance to wrap his legs around him. Half-cradling the engineer in this new position he went to business. People who asked to be taken like that always got what they bargained for, perhaps even more.

The set pace rose in velocity; it was ruthless now, burning, fast and impossibly hard. Teeth scraped the skin of the engineer's neck, once again marking him. And Loki moaned loudly as he thrust again and again, a sound so melodious that it could be one of the most beautiful things in the world. Neither of them could last for much longer. Tony was the first to go, right after a piercing hit to his prostate and a bite on his shoulder. His cries made Loki lose himself shortly after, shooting his white load straight into the engineer.

Slowly they rocked, riding out their orgasms; Loki even let his forehead rest on Anthony's shoulder in fatigue. Tony was the first to speak. "Dear god, you've ruined me; I don't think it's humanly possible to have better sex than this."

Finally able to fill his lungs with cool air, mind still fuzzy from release, the ex-god answered. "I do hope that is a challenge." He planted a kiss on the warm sweat covered skin of the other man, tasting the salty evidence of their exhausting pastime.

Loki sunk down onto the soft bed sheets, taking a surprised Tony with him. "That definitely is a challenge."

Once again the ex-god proved to be weary and longing for rest, this time Tony hoped he'd remember every spoken word. The genius rolled over and reached to grab a handful of tissues. Cleaning up the seed he spilled over the tall blond man's chest. "Stay here, I need a quick shower."

When Tony came out of the bathroom, Loki still lingered, eyes closed and lost in dreams.

* * *

Ok my second time writing a sex scene was easier than the first. *Phew*

Hope you were not to disappointed with it, but yeah fast update!

Thank you guys for reading, following and favoriting my story.

Feel free to leave a review since they feed my hungry hungry soul.

Last but not least thanks goes out to my beta xenia007


	25. Chapter 25

Disclaimer: i do not own marvel

Chapter 25

Somewhere between the early hour of four and the rising sun. Loki awoke to find himself still in the same bed with Anthony, who was sleeping peacefully. Their limbs were entangled while the engineer's head lay in the crook of his neck. The ex-god's eyes adjusted slowly to the bright blue light of the arc reactor, now uncovered by a shirt or suit. He caught himself studying the now illuminated features of the brown-haired man.  
Without waking up the sleeping genius Loki slid out of bed, heading towards the bathroom to relieve his bladder. Still sleep-drunk he rubbed his eyes and when he opened them, the trickster looked straight into a large mirror. As much as the ex-god still despised the cold blue of his eyes staring back at him, they just stopped being surprising after a while. Loki did however grow used to, and became even fond of his unruly blond hair. It had a delightful defiant nature just like it's master, doing what it wanted even if Loki meticulously styled it in the morning. That one annoying lock of hair always hung in front of his vision. The rest of the slightly curling strands of hair rose as the day progressed, giving him bed hair before he even hit the sheets. Extremely pesky at first, yet quite enjoyable once you got used to it.

Slowly, Loki touched his long neck, noticing a spot on it. With a wet finger he tried to rub it off in vain. He blinked and removed his hand, giving it a closer inspection. By the nine, that fool! Anthony had marked him without consent, and in such a visible place it would prove difficult to hide from prying eyes. If he hid it at all that was; with this he could certainly get the engineer in a compromising situation, while getting sweet revenge at the same time. Ah yes, he would have fun embarrassing Stark with this once morning came. A mischievous smile played along the corners of his mouth at this thought.

Then he realized that he was not feeling any anger at this unrequested mark. On the contrary, he was actually feeling content seeing it, even if he wanted to take revenge for such an act. With haste, Loki turned off the bathroom lights and left. He needed to head back to his own quarters, it wasn't right to be here. He just needed to…

The ex-god froze on the spot when he saw his imprint on the bed sheets, a distinct empty shape belonging to another human. Anthony had stirred while sleeping, his calloused hand now where Loki had lain, taking in the last of his remaining body heat. Loki could swear the expression on the brown-haired man's face had changed into something that portrayed longing.

Here lay Anthony Stark, as naked and vulnerable as the day he was born.

Loki had done an endless list of deceiving acts and gruesome things; blood was on his hands without a doubt. Yet the engineer had simply accepted him like any everyday occurrence, not giving an ounce what he had done previously. The other man chose willingly to let a person who tried to murder him in his house, in his bed. Probably well aware that Loki could rip out his lifeline, and watch him die a slow torturous death as the shrapnel pierced the most vital organ parts in his body.

Once, the trickster would have done this with a great deal of pleasure. Stark would have begged to live and the ex-god would have watched and smiled in madness. But now, he was slightly stunned by the fact that Anthony placed this amount of trust in his hands. The opportunity was here, right in front of him, yet Loki stepped in bed, refilling the empty space he had left behind earlier.

The trickster tugged on the thick, fluffy sheets, covering their naked bodies before the cold air chilled them. Automatically the genius moved closer to him without waking from his slumber. A leg moved over his and one of Anthony's hands settled on his chest. The light of the small arc reactor created a shadow-play over Loki's body. The engineer's face was so close that Loki could feel the other man's soft, warm breaths tickling his ears.

Sleep washed over him, and Loki closed his eyes as he slowly drifted away. Perhaps he really should have torn out the arc on the first day, shattering, crushing any hope with it in the process. It was days, weeks too late now. Both of them were foolish men, Loki thought while yawning. For no longer did he want to tear and smash that piece of technology keeping the engineer alive.

Not when Anthony made him feel so…

* * *

The bright "A" of Stark tower spread a light of hope over the half-slumbering city. It was a beacon for them now, a sign that out there, extraordinary people worked hard to keep the inhabitants of the city safe from harm. And like the city, where people always worked, even during night time, the large tower never truly slept either. At any given moment during the day, be it early afternoon or at an ungodly late hour, there was always somebody awake in the modern glass and steel structure. This dark night was no exception to that rule, inside, Dr. Bruce Banner was still working in one of the laboratories, and Thor was standing outside on one of the balconies, his unfaltering gaze peering over the city and its almost endless lights.

The Chitauri had crawled and searched the surface of this place, their reptilian eyes watchfully looking from the dark sides of the city. Each of the heroes felt the trouble that was brewing underneath their feet. The creatures wanted more than just petty revenge; finding Loki was just an added bonus now. Thor and the other Avengers would face this battle courageously, wielding weaponry and knowledge against them. He had his mighty hammer Mjolnir to summon forth bone-shattering lightning. And he would deal deadly blows to enemies brave, or stupid, enough to face the Asgardian warrior head-on.

But any danger heading Loki's way- and oh, it was surely coming for the mischievous ex-god- Loki would have to face it alone or at least without the aid of Thor. For the broad-shouldered Asgardian made a vow not to interfere with the dealings of an outcast. Even if the now blonde ex-god faced a deadly foe who was ready to cut him into tiny pieces. Or if he was found out, caught and placed in a dark, damp cell, left to rot away for his crimes. There was not a thing Thor could do to stop any of it from happening. His only comfort was that he could still say good morning to his little brother without any problems.

And then, there was the Man of Iron, with his will to keep the trickster safe. Unexpected, unbelievable, but very much a reality.  
At first he had his doubt, so he headed off towards the quarters of his friend, after arriving back to the tower. Surely the Man of Iron would recognize the question on his mind even if the large warrior remained silent about it. But the feral sounds of rough mating coming from the man's private chambers stopped him. No sane man would disturb another during the act of sex, it was unheard of. And Stark did have a reputation of bringing home women when it pleased him.

Thor was ready to leave until he heard a man groan out a familiar name in ecstasy. Anger rose in his bowels and his hold on Mjolnir got stronger. There was no interfering, no storming in and asking what the other Avenger was doing with his brother. Could his friend be so unwise that he took advantage of Loki?

Another dark melodious voice cried out a name from inside the room "Anthony!".  
Thor left immediately, ashamed for thinking badly about the Man of Iron, and wanting to interrupt their lovemaking. Because that was what they were doing in there, those vocal sounds were not those of a person doing something truly unwanted. As the Asgardian waited outside he took note of the fact that Loki had not left the room. By all means it surprised Thor that the younger once godly man willingly stayed and slept there with the other man.

He hoped Loki found a shard of happiness, even if it was bound to end one day.

* * *

I know that this was a strange chapter, but neither of these pieces seemed to belong to chapter 24 or the next. So instead of trying to fit them in a place where they obviously don't belong i took the liberty of posting them like this.

After this contemplative chapter we are back in action.

Thank you readers for your patience.

Feel free to leave a review, if you like.

Beta for this chapter was xenia007


	26. Chapter 26

disclaimer: i do not own marvel

chapter 26

Early morning coffee had never tasted better or more victorious than in this moment, this day started out so differently from his usual pace. Not one moment had he thought that sharing a room with the mischievous Loki was strange, somehow he could get used to having another person with him in his private quarters, be they the bedroom or his workshop.

He trusted the ex-god for some obscure reason; that former evil mastermind who had slept in soundless comfort, waking up with a soft and graceful but knowing smile on his face. Just before Tony left the room, the tall trickster rose from the bed and stretched his naked frame like a lean cat before walking towards the engineer. Tony could not move his eyes from this entrancing vision of Loki, who still held a peculiar expression of contentment on his face.

The brown-haired engineer was expecting the ex-god to stride to the bathroom, but those insufferably beautiful blue eyes were locked on his own. "I do expect a hot beverage when I return from the shower.", demanded the tall mischievous man from him. At that moment, Tony half expected to see Loki stride out of his room butt-naked, just because the ex-god was too proud to use his facilities. But no, the golden haired man stayed, showing that nobody could predict his movements.

A real kiss.

Not a hasty peck on the cheek or a fast touch of lips. But a real, even tender kiss claiming Tony's mouth, while hands running through his hair stroked his scalp. Reluctantly they parted and the ex-god only spoke the following words before he slithered into the bathroom: "I'll see you soon."

So Tony headed to the kitchen, finding himself starting the same morning ritual of the past weeks. Bruce was already there; biting down in a green apple, deep –brown eyes scanning an important note. The scientist gave an acknowledging nod to his presence before returning to the morning lecture he had brought with him. It was fun having another person around that shared the same love of knowledge and science, sometimes neither of them used words during work. Somehow those became obsolete after a while.

After preparing his own large cup of hot, black coffee; Tony started to prepare a second one when a familiar voice sounded from behind him. "Stark, it is unusual to see you up this early." Natasha, he thought, hearing the voice of his favourite ex-assistant. "Why are you preparing coffee for two?" She said, immediately questioning the one thing in the kitchen area that seemed truly off.

Tony heard the sound of more footsteps behind him, for now he decided to ignore them and just continue making this blasphemy of a drink Loki called coffee. The sound of high heels ticking on his floor made it very clear Pepper was among them, while sturdy rhythmic footsteps surely belonged to the good Captain. "It's probably for his assistant Locke, according to Tony the man gets crabby when he doesn't drink caffeine in the morning. But I think he's an ok guy." came the calm voice of Steve answering the red-head's question. The engineer heard the widow give curious "hmmmm" to the answer she got. No doubt she was well informed of his current personal assistant "Locke", knowing all the finer details and specifications by now. He would have been disappointed otherwise, yet he also feared her interrogating gaze for she knew very well that within his mind secrets still laid. It was an incomplete puzzle and he and Loki held the last important parts.

"Where is Robin Hood?", Tony asked her directly, turning around face the black spider-like woman. "Now that I think about it, he probably…"

"What the heck, Tony?", said the all American superhero, with a disappointed puppy-eyed look on his face." You've got to be kidding me at a time like this. If she is still here, I want her gone."

Right…Loki had kissed him and tousled his hair more than it normally was, not to forget the evidence of a rather recent love bite half-hiding under the hem of his t-shirt. "Since when can't I get laid in my own house? Everybody in this place should have sex at least once a week, especially you Captain Virginity, seventy years on ice is too long."

"Wait a minute here.", noted the Black widow, who was still looking at him. "Stark, what you do with your private life isn't our business, even if I agree with cap that bringing women here is not a good option at the moment. But more than that, why are you personally preparing a coffee for your assistant?" The widow looked at him with her prying eyes and crossed arms, putting emphasis on the "you" part of her inquiry.

Tony could not blame her for the question, if you had told him months ago that the great Anthony Stark would be pouring coffee voluntarily for another man he'd have called them mad. "Can't I be nice?"

"No", replied Natasha immediately, giving him no choice but to further develop this discussion.

Tony let an annoyed sigh escape his lips. "Look, if I don't get the prickly Princess his morning coffee, I'm stuck with a cranky pain in the ass all day."

The engineer was so engrossed in his conversation with the black-clothed spy that he failed to notice the soft footsteps of Loki entering the room. It wasn't until Natasha's eyes moved that he noticed the other man, but by then it was already too late.

He was a sitting duck.

With an air of grace Loki took his mug of coffee from Tony's hand, placing a rather modest peck on his cheek. Instantly; Tony knew he was doomed, inwardly he begged the ex-god not to open his devious mouth. "I have yet to receive complaints about the pain in your ass, Anthony." Said the trickster with that wickedly seductive voice of his, lips curling upward, in a smile that made you wonder if he was friend or foe.

And fuck this wasn't how it was supposed to go, there was no way that the hint of red he could feel creeping on his face was real. Tony Stark never got embarrassed, let alone tricked into something like this. That sly bastard had planned this whole thing out before he even left the room, messing up his hair to make sure somebody would notice the oddity. They did, and now the entire room, including Pepper, was drenched in a disturbing silence. He needed to get a smart-ass comment out right now before it was too late, but the hand Loki left lingering on his shoulder drew all his attention. The tiny, out-of-place blush perfect blackmail for either Pepper or Natasha if they wanted something from him.

_I'm screwed._

Pepper was the first one to let out a snicker, while the Russian redhead just smiled knowingly at them. Bruce already knew it, so he just carried on eating, the scientist merely observed everybody's reactions . Steve was as white as a sheet when realisation sunk in and the tall blond just had to say it out loud. " You never had haemorrhoids." It only made pepper's laugh more apparent when she tried to hide it behind her hand; even Bruce was starting to grin.

But Tony wouldn't be Tony if he had not formulated a reply in those long seconds, better late than never of course. "I can't help being this irresistible, so it was bound to happen. Of course there hasn't been an assistant I haven't slept with, can't ruin that reputation regardless of gender. And you don't count.", retorted the genius pointing his finger towards the Russian women's general direction nonchalantly. "Imagine the possibilities I have now; as the most handsome bi-sexual man on the planet."

"I do hope you are not insinuating that you will share a bed with another, Anthony.", said the ex-god to him, but all Tony heard in that sentence was "You are mine."

"Wait! Are you jealous, darling?" asked Tony mockingly, looking straight at the trickster, who resumed drinking his coffee with a dead-panned look on his face. But the engineer saw he had struck a nerve in those mesmerising blue eyes; there really was a gleam of possessiveness shining deep within them. Something he actually found himself enjoying. "You are, aren't you Highness?"

His statement did not make the ex-gods calm face falter in the slightest; in fact, if it wasn't for those emotion-filled eyes you'd think he was a heartless man playing a cruel trick. "Stark, don't be silly."

"Ok, this is it, you two sound like a married couple arguing over home decoration." Tony fell silent at the words of Captain America; did they really sound like that? His broad-shouldered friend ignored his eyebrow raised in question and said. "Dear lord, this explains so much. So does this mean that you two are boyfriends?" asked the good Captain in all honesty.

"I'd hardly call myself a boy, Steve. Since I can take it like a man.", noted Tony with a lewd voice, basking in a small victory as his heroic friend got that tomato-red colour back on his face. "Now Natasha, to what do we owe the pleasure, I'm sure you're not here to ask how I am in bed?"

"I am here with S.H.I.E.L.D.'s reports on disappearances and the missing persons list of the past few weeks, as well as spots where the homeless tend to gather. Both Clint and Thor are checking out some of the areas in hope of evidence, we didn't find anything in the area Locke used to stay. It was emptied out." Tony kept looking at her, knowing that it wasn't the last of it. "Fury expects your call."

"I'll get back to him later, when I feel like it. Will you guys be staying at the tower?" enquired the engineer.

"Yes, I'll be going now, expect me and Clint back in the evening with useful Intel." Tony saw her eyes scan and measure up Loki; intelligent eyes taking him in and deeming his worth. He knew that the trickster did not decide to stare back, but nevertheless; the genius could feel cold sweat running down along his spine. How long did they have left, before everything came crashing down violently?

Natasha was deadly a force to be reckoned with; if any of them could pry the truth from his lips it was her. It did not matter that Loki no longer was the brooding dark god locked in a glass cage; yes, the tall man had changed for the better, if you out ruled the mischief. His golden locks and sky-blue eyes, the slightly altered face would never give away his true persona at first glance. But the black widow had the power to look beyond that and notice the way the edge of his lips curled upwards when he smirked. The short time she spent interrogating the previously caged god would have given the black spider enough information about his mannerisms and quirks.

In the end, Tony thought she would be the one to truly recognise the god; and the genius had not figured out how to handle the inevitable.

Tony saw Loki finally meeting her prying gaze and the mischievous one spoke up."I believe we haven't been introduced yet, pleased to meet your acquaintance I'm Locke Ladislav." Politely the shook each other hands, the black widow still weary of the actions of a stranger.

"Natasha." She stated returning the handshake." I respect what you did, but I do not trust you."

"He has my trust, Natasha, that alone should say enough." She would understand his trust never came easy, not after all that happened to him in these past tumultuous years. Right now, he trusted only a handful of people and even then he would keep certain thoughts and emotions to himself. Opening up to a person meant showing your wounds, why he tried this with an ex super-villain of all people was beyond his own knowledge.

He was probably going crazy.

"I'm also taking my leave, but I'll be going in normal clothing. The Stars and stripes would get too much attention on the streets. This way I'll cover more ground. Tony, Bruce and Locke; I trust that you guys can handle the information search. If you find anything, even a speck of dust in the wrong place let us know." It never ceased to amaze Tony how Steve could go from a kind, honest young man who wasn't in his own time, to a soldier with a strict and commanding voice. "If we find anything you three will be the first ones to know, Tony we might need your help later if anything shows up."

The three of them went to Stark's large workshop, lights were already on and Jarvis had prepared an impressive scale-sized 3-dimensional blueprint of New York City. "Ok, kids let's get to work." A small robot parked in the corner whizzed enthusiastically." No, not you Dummy, go and make some tea for Bruce or something." His words resulted in the robot riding down the lab in the wrong direction, almost like a sulking child." Jarvis, have you decoded and stored all of Natasha's data?"

"Yes sir, and I have proceeded tracing it to its origin, "digging deeper" as you once recommended."

"You sneaky bastard, I didn't program you for that." noted Tony with a cheeky grin on his face "I like it, found anything interesting yet?"

"No sir, but it is just a matter of time."

Bruce glanced his way. "Fury?"

"So far he's never earned my trust, always hiding half of what we need to know somewhere up his sleeve. I don't expect it to be different this time with that one-eyed ass." The engineer used his experienced fingers and the lay-out, making certain areas light up. One bright spot marked their starting point, the abandoned box-filled slum where Loki had killed one of those creatures.

"Sir, I have located something that might be of use."

"Bring it up, Jarvis." A new display appeared suspended in mid-air: documents, about defective Chitauri weaponry. The alien invaders, their artillery and vehicles had dropped down to the cold earth in silence after Tony brought a nuke into the portal. It's warhead causing a wide-spread explosion large enough to bring down their impressive mother ship.

* * *

Loki recognised it.

This passion igniting in the engineer's eyes when ideas flickered to life behind them. The way the genius's mind blocked out all of reality as he worked for hours, uncaring for his own health and need of sleep. Loki knew it took years of learning and struggling to achieve the level of ease which the man used to skilfully craft his inventions.

Loki recognised it as if a mirror was held in front of him, mimicking his own hard work to gain control over his talents and learn ancient lore.

The years he had spent alone in a dusty library, accompanied by nothing else but his own passion while his nose was stuck in valuable, old books by the light of a candle. Almost none of Asgard knew nor appreciated the written knowledge, replacing it with mindless battle and drinking contests. Nobody recognised his powerful magic for it's true worth, deeming it nothing more than petty tricks.

A mistake the trickster had made himself upon his earlier "visit" to Earth. He had seen the red and gold Iron Man as a mere flashy victory-hungry warrior, failing to recognise what laid behind the shining metal covers. The ex-god had come to terms with the inside of that metal harness; Anthony truly had a brilliant mind.

For a Midgardian.

Loki's intelligent mischievous eyes absorbed every detail in the files flickering in mid-air, finding nothing out of the ordinary or forgotten details. A curious flickering in the genius's brown eyes alerted him to new findings, eagerly he scanned over the text and images now shown to him. The ex-god could not hold the surprised gasp that escaped him at what they showed.

_Trickery._ Loki first thought, for his eyes were betraying him. The hive had been vanquished, destroying the signal that kept the Chitauri and their organic built weaponry pulsing with life. He had seen the result with his own eyes as The Avengers dragged him bound and gagged through the streets to his new cell. Each and every single speck of alien life was reduced to cold flesh, guns and vehicles rendered useless. It should not be, yet evidence to the contrary was blatantly staring him in the face now, in a file labelled item 47.

"Anything you'd like to share, Locke?" asked Banner, looking with concerned eyes in his direction, he must have looked skittish in his human skin. The scientist was right; Loki did feel a hint of distress surging through his veins.

"They never left.", said Loki through clenched teeth, making it almost sound like a hiss. An answer neither of the two other men had expected from his mouth, brown eyes looking in confusion and question at him. There wasn't a way around this but a clear explanation, any other words and stories would not add up, ending in unfavourable outcomes.

Banner looked his way, opening his lips to ask him how such a thing could be possible, if "Locke" knew anything that could aid them? "What do you mean they never left? All the dead were taken care of, so none remained. Not even for research."

Loki could see recognition dawn on Anthony's bearded face. "Don't" asked the genius quietly, his enthusiastic behaviour of earlier out of the window. The engineer knew that any word spoken now could ruin any night both of them might have spent together in peace and passionate touches. Brown eyes held sorrow for the choice Loki had to make, secretly hoping he would choose to be selfish.

But Loki spoke.

* * *

thank you for reading as always

feel free to leave some soulfood (review) to fill my brain.

I am officially moving these next 2 weeks so January will be slow with updates, my apologies upfront.


	27. Chapter 27

disclaimer: i do not own the avengers ( but oh i wish)

Ok it took me a while but here i am back again , hope i ain't to rusty :p

**chapter 27**

Loki thanked his luck for being stuck in a room with possibly the only two Avengers who would listen to his tale before taking action. Of course the Anthony he knew now was never going to bind him, for he knew the truth, but the Iron Man he had met was a listener and a talker as well. Dr Banner was more than the green monster stirring under his surface, the scientist's eyes gleamed with interest at the prospect of an explanation.

"I need your word that you will let me finish." The gamma expert nodded, giving the ex-god the go to tell what they needed to know right now. Tony however was still looking as if the world was ending, a strange mix of sorrow and acceptance on his face.

"I will begin by explaining why the Chitauri dropped like flies after that bomb detonated. Their large ship served a purpose much like a beehive, giving off a constant, undetectable signal . Each one of them, as well as the things they use are telepathically linked to this hive, which is both their greatest strength and their biggest weakness. Destroy that source; and the force of the separated link will render anything Chitauri utterly useless." The ex-god mirrored Anthony's movement, making a small area light up between the blue lay-out.

"This is where, according to the report, item number forty-seven was found." Loki had studied the engineer when he was busy, slowly but surely he had gained enough knowledge to know how to use most of the basic movements. And now he manipulated the blue mid screen holograms with childish skill compared to Anthony, but none the less he could work them. A large circle appeared on the map, drawn by his hands. "Most of their attacks were focussed on the densely populated city centre, to subdue and gain control as swiftly as possible. They were only meant as an aid, a tool to use and install fright in human hearts."

"Until Loki held the Earth as its ruler.", noted Bruce, focussed on the story, one could see the truth of the "assistant's" knowledge slowly dawn on him.

"Yes.", replied the trickster.

"Then why did they not leave? After all, Loki's so-called intent to rule ended quite badly for the guy." The easily angered scientist cleaned his glasses and put them back on his nose, as if he was testing the trickster's patience. "Sorry for interrupting, carry on."

"Had this been a regular invasion by the Chitauri, then they would have landed in the crowded city centre, sweeping it clean and burying themselves in to get ready for takeover." Loki let his blue eyes cross over to the engineer and their eyes met. Anthony knew it was just a fraction of a second away before his friend uttered Loki's true name, recognising his "assistant" for the mad god in question.

"They created a new hive elsewhere in the underground of the city." Confused dark-brown eyes scanned him, their owner clearly unsettled by this statement. Dr Banner wasn't one to like the thought of such a unexpected threat underneath his feet, it added to his already agitated state. "Why do you know so much abo..." You could see the moment on Banner's face when one and one became two, a spark lighting up in the intelligent man's eyes. The doctor looked directly at him with surprise, fright and that deep flare of anger boiling under the surface of his skin.

"Loki"

"Loki! Tony, what the hell are you thinking, bringing him to stay under the same roof as the rest of us? Last time he was anywhere near my vicinity I nearly killed Natasha!"

"Nearly being the correct word here big guy."

"Oh god how could you, with him?" As the truth slowly sank in so did the expression on the doctor's face, it was evident the man felt hurt; even betrayed in this moment of discovery.

"I'm all up for second chances Bruce, you of all people should know this. Now I'll admit that mister prissy pants here used to be no less than bat-shit crazy but now he is just crazy."

Loki knew that for the sake of his human constitution a hulk-out should be avoided, his now frail body would not survive a "playful" smash or being thrown around like a rag doll. "So far my words have been truthful, I just withheld certain unnecessary details."

"If that is what you call your deceiving nature." The gamma expert was slowly growing more nervous, moving his hands and fingers without a place to put them.

"Would you tell people who hate that monster within, that you are that very being? Would you give them the excuse to act blindly based on earlier facts, or would you try to stay alive?" A complete silence followed his serious question, one not even Anthony dared to break. A deep breath in and out came from the scientist who was shaking his head in denial.

"Bruce." Anthony's hand rested on the other genius's shoulder, making Loki feel a tiny spark of jealousy." I know it's clear that I am nothing short of rich, handsome and on the brink of insanity but I trust him."

"With my life."

"I can't believe you are this reckless, Tony." Replied Bruce whose prickly nerves had calmed down a fraction. A part of him still refused to believe his friend was having relations with an enemy, or former enemy if you could believe the words of that deceiver. Yet he knew how the kind-hearted the engineer really was, no matter how flashy his outside appearance was. Not once did Tony think of him as an uninhibited monstrosity, even when the eccentric man was fully aware of what Bruce could become. For him, Bruce Banner was just a fellow scientist, a man on the same level, a good and trusted friend.

"Don't make me say please, asking nicely isn't my thing but I'll resort to extreme measures if I have to."

Always did the short brown-haired genius beat around the bush but Bruce had become an expert in reading between the lines. All he heard was a meaningful "Please give Loki his second chance". Sternly he watched the ex-god, a man he had come to know as "Locke" a fitting name if you thought about it. "I don't understand where you are going with this, Tony." He pointed between his friend and the one formerly known as Loki of Asgard. "But I'll try and give him One chance." For a small geeky scientist he looked menacing, his dark eyes directed towards the magic-less Loki." If you blow it, if you as much as lay a hand on Tony or anybody else..."

"Well he's had his hands on me, that's for sure.", grinned the engineer, wildly amused at his own words.

Bruce noted the glare Loki gave the amused man, it seemed both him and the ex-god deemed Tony's behaviour as improper." I have made my point." Oddly enough, Bruce saw understanding in Loki's now blue eyes, as if the tall blond accepted these terms and conditions.

"Now, where can we find those left-over sons of bitches?", noted Tony, while giving a clap to break the last shard of tension in the air.

"There is nothing left of them, I was betrayed from the start, without realising it, much to my shame." It angered Loki, for a deal made was one to hold. Yes, you could twist and turn around the truth and formed words. But to blatantly ignore a promise and devise a second plan; one nobody would notice until it was already too late, was despicable. Well, for someone other than him of course. He pulled up the underground map." My guess is that they are in one of these locations in New York's underground. I can't decipher the exact location given the time they had to advance, for all I know the hive's centre has already been moved. But according to my calculations those creatures should roam in these areas. And…Anthony, where are you going?"

"Out of here, Jarvis ready the suit." A British accent answered with a yes from within the building's walls and the engineer made haste towards the exit.

"Stark you are useless out there in the tunnels; one wrong use of your weaponry and half of New York can collapse and crumble on top of you." Loki faced the engineer that was still dead set on leaving. "Stark." He said; in that tone that often implied dangerous repercussions if one made the wrong move.

"I hate to say it, but he's right, Tony."

Not that the eccentric genius would ever listen, not this time or ever. He was one to go his own way if it seemed the right way; even if it could kill him for other he would gladly give the sacrifice." Now you boys be good and don't fight." And just like that he left; speeding out of the glass door towards the balcony, where Jarvis was ready to dress him in his golden-red armour with inhuman precision.

"Cap, I'm coming your way."

* * *

Five minutes was all it took Dr. Banner and Loki to reorganise The Avengers and draw their attention under the surface. Finer details of how and why they came to this conclusion were left out of the equation, but even in the silence over the com you could hear Natasha's unspoken questions. And one could bet that if Clint was anywhere near her, he'd know she had underlying suspicions.

"It's not going to last.", said Bruce towards the ex-god. This truce, this white flag between them would be torn apart by strong winds tugging on it.

"I know" replied the blond ex-god, shifting the map to mark and trace the team's current whereabouts.

"Then why stay?", asked the scientist, with nothing but honest curiosity towards Loki's answer.

_For him._

The answer wasn't voiced but Dr. Banner could read it in those blue eyes. It wasn't about fulfilling this promise to Bob, it wasn't about the safety of those homeless people that took care of a sick and injured "Locke". No, it was all about Tony, somehow the engineer had managed to crawl under Loki's skin and befriend him. At what point had the two of them become attracted to each other, how was it even possible for such unlikely people to have some form of relationship?

"Pepper was right. You actually care for him."

"This human infatuation I am having is purely physical."

There was a vague nervous or worried tone in Loki's voice that Bruce caught with his ears. The man seemed to be on edge waiting like this, watching events unfold without his interference. "You don't even expect me to believe that lie. It's obvious that you are worried for Tony's safety."

A small click betrayed an open comm line; a bright red light flashing icon identified the speaker as the Black Widow." I've checked the first marked location with Clint, it's clean."

By now, all of them had covered a small area, one that Bruce had marked as section one, giving each of them a part to search. That way, help would never be far in a sudden sticky situation, so far nothing had come up. The territory was dark, narrow and unfamiliar; even if it was still New York, there was a whole different city underneath its high towers and cement surface.

"Good work, guys. Banner, where to next?", asked the team's Captain, giving positive encouragement at the same time.

Bruce had configured a central point in his layout, a place possibly free of alien invaders and a decent starting point for future searches." From where you are, second tunnel to the right and down the hatch. It might be locked, but it shouldn't be a problem for you to open it. Behind it should be an old maintenance room, connecting several drainage systems."

"Got it."

They heard Captain America's strong footsteps making his way through the damp tunnel, the man's keen sense of memory instantly recognising the turns he had to make. A loud screech ended by a hollow crack signalled the opening of the thick metal hatch. " This is a darn good spot Banner, relay it's position to the others."

"Hawkeye, we are sending you a new location for you and Natasha, are you getting it?"

"Give us ten minutes, we'll be there.", replied the ever-observant Clint." They have been at our current location, just passing through probably, but the tunnel has been used in the past days. Nothing here now though."

"I found no traces for now in this Midgardian underground, I shall head to the captain."

Good, that left only Tony's answer. "Iron Man, what is your position?"

"In the city's underbelly and god it stinks, I can smell it through the armour."

"You're not answering my question, Tony.", said Bruce over the comm line, pinching the bridge of his nose. If only his friend could provide a reply without added comments.

"I am currently taking the scenic route of New York, and I see crap, literally."

Back in the tower, Loki was growing restless with the provided answers. Quickly and before the scientist could react, he grabbed the earpiece and hissed. "Where are you, Stark?!"

"Don't you fear, my pretty princess; I'll protect you from those nasty aliens."

"Locke, this line is Avengers only, please return the earpiece to Dr Banner.", asked the Captain politely but sternly.

"Jarvis, give me Anthony's exact position.", demanded Loki, ignoring the order voiced by the tall soldier. He didn't say it, but he feared that the engineer was going his own merry way. Meaning that he was performing the reckless act of wandering off on his own. Taking uncharted routes and exploring them without the availability of a back-up nearby.

"I am not permitted to give out Iron man's current whereabouts, sir."

Loki swore that he heard Jarvis underline the word permitted, making it crystal clear for the ex-god that Anthony himself had ordered the AI's silence. It left him with only one option. "Jarvis, override, code cellist." A bright yellow light, flashing nearby Natasha's red and Clint's purple one faded out from the map. It was nothing but a decoy, left there for appearance's sake.

"You are not supposed to know that.", noted the engineer in a serious voice.

"You are not supposed to wander off on your own.", replied Loki, equally serious and pissed off.

"Oh god, Cap was right, you guys do act like a married couple."

"Clint, stop it. Iron Man, what is your location, and why did you let us follow a fake trail?" Captain America had deemed it useless to tell Loki to "give" the earpiece back to Bruce after finding out over the comm that Anthony had them tracing a decoy.

"I wouldn't call it fake, just misplaced a bi.." Mid-sentence, a loud rumble claimed the line, followed by a recognisable inhuman noise all of them were familiar with.

"Fuck, I found them, or they found me; it depends on your viewpoint, I guess." The noises made by the Chitauri were bone chilling, as if they found a suitable prey to hunt and strip of its skin. More worrisome was the fact that Anthony's real location finally showed itself on the 3-dimensional map, right on the other side of the city. Bruce had already sent the location to the others, but even if they hurried, the tunnel maze would slow them down immensely. They wouldn't be there in time to assist in the battle.

Over the line they could hear Anthony's voice breathing heavy." These guys are different, sending you an image now."

The sounds of battle carried on as Loki looked at the picture." Stark, get out of there now."

"Aww but I'm having so much fun with my new pals."

"I insist you follow your assistant's advice sir. The level of damage you are getting is taking a toll."

"Listen to me Anthony, they are not the same Chitauri you faced, the army existed of mere foot soldiers; the lowest of the lowest they had available. What you are facing now is far far more dangerous; these are Chitauri seasoned in battle and dre." The ex-god had so much more to say, but the sounds of struggle ended and a frightful static noise filled the comm line.

"Anthony!" He called out.

"ANTHONY!" He yelled with worry and anger as he felt dread wash over him, a thought of loss clawed a way into his heart, as he felt more human than ever. He all but ripped off the earpiece and tossed it in the scientist's general direction, brown eyes with a hint of fear in them looked at him.

"You're going in." The dark-haired man stated.

"Yes, don't you dare to stop me, Banner, you or that beast within." Loki was so filled with the flow of emotions surging in his body that he didn't notice the look of sympathy on the other man's face. Nor did he hear what Banner said as he rushed out the door.

"Good luck Loki."

* * *

Thank you guys for reading and having the patience to wait a full month while i moved, really thank you readers !

Feel free to leave some soulfood ( yumyum reviews)

And to all a happy new-years, may you find happiness, goodluck and creative ideas.


	28. Chapter 28

disclaimer: i do not own marvel

**Chapter 28**

It could have been the dull throbbing headache of a massive hangover. If it wasn't for the fact that Tony was absolutely sure that it had been near minutes ago that half his faceplate was crushed, a dent pressing into his head at an uncomfortable angle. The pain in his right side was unimaginable and burning with raw ache, he could feel a slow trickling trail of blood run down his hip. They dragged him downwards where it was deeper, darker and harder to escape. His once gleaming armour scraped along the gritty floor like an old rag doll, the red and gold shine battle-worn and replaced with dirt.

For as far as Tony remembered none of these creatures and ever left a human intentionally alive, during the previous battle people were either killed of herded like mindless sheep. Not that the Chitauri who's claws were around his arm appeared to care for the engineers wellbeing, far from it he just pulled Tony along to wherever it was they were heading. Silently he tried to call-out for Jarvis one more time, his voice hoarse as if overused. A sharp tug silenced him as air painfully left his lungs; he had a witty remark ready in his head but nothing more than a incoherent mumble left his mouth.

Jarvis, the outside world, was unreachable.

Perhaps he should have paid more heed to Loki's distressed warning, yeah, he could do that in the future.

Tony swore he didn't pass out but when his eyes carefully opened he had stopped moving all together. Half-heartedly he leaned against a moist stone wall, water slowly dripping along its slippery surface; at least he severely hoped it was water. Slowly but not nearly fast enough for the engineers liking his eyes started to adjust to the dark surroundings he found himself in. Letting him discover new gradients of black from a midnight colour to the shade under your bed had when the notorious boogie-man resided under it. Somewhere along the hard wall something shuffled and Tony could distinct the rustling of clothing as, what he hoped to be, a person shifted a limb.

"Shhhhh, I think he's coming by."

Should we give him something to drink?"

"Don't be a moron, it's not like we have water to spare. Dimwit"

"Bob would have shared, even if t'was nothing more than a sip."

"… Well I ain't Bob you dolt and I ain't sharing anything Jack."

With an attentive ear Tony listen to the on-going discussion the two men had about him, recognising the spoken names. Bob of course who was or at least, should be still in the hospital. And Jack, presumably "Daniels".

"Do you guys mind I'm trying to get some beauty sleep here." Thankfully his voice was back, even if it was difficult speaking due to exhaustion.

The grumpier one of the two other men answered first. "See, good going now you woke him up you retard."

"At least we know he's alive and kicking." Replied the man Tony believed to be the Jack Daniels Bob spoke about, at least one of them had a positive outlook on this messy situation.

A disapproving snort resounded along the stone walls. "And where will that get him? Hmmm? It hardly changes out crap-ass fate now does it."

"You know I really dislike being ignored here." Noted the engineer.

"Yeah well ain't it nice to meet ya." Said the bad-tempered one sarcastically. " Who are you anyway? I dun recognise your voice from anywhere."

"I am Iron Man."

"Good for you lad, and I am Batman. I bet you're here to save us all eh? God, they must have hit you harder than I thought…..Not that it matters." Added the crabby man in a melancholic way.

Tony definitely found it disturbing that there were only two of them here. According to Bob's and Loki's words there should have been more, unless they were kept elsewhere but an eerie feeling distinctly told him otherwise. "So, where are the other?"

"Gone" Answered the younger voice of Jack.

"How'd ya know there where others?"

"Already told you, I am Iron Man." Not getting recognised because of this damn darkness really started to piss him off. I mean come on, even drifters and beggars should know him, right?

_Wait a minute, it is dark in here. Why is it dark in here?_

"I'm an idiot."

"Yeah no arguing that boy."

Tony moved his hands along the remains of his armour detecting removed parts and blemishes across the surface, left-over parts were either dented or… No wonder his "light" was out leaving him in this distressful darkness. With a painful strain in his muscles he managed to dislodge a jammed plate, effectively opening the inner works of his chest armour. The good thing was that a soft blue light started to illuminate their surroundings, granting him sight of two tired faces. The bad thing was that the wound on his side didn't look good in anyway.

"Holy shit you really are Iron Man."

Tony saw the bad-tempered man now, younger than expected but still with grey strokes in his locks and a receding hairline. Both him and Jack looked exhausted, dark lines under their eyes, their looks those of the hungry.

"Told you so, now what do you mean the other are gone?"

The two looked at each other knowingly and the emotions that played out on their faces were those of terrified people. Grumpy guy's sarcasm had clearly been used to cover up his painfully evident emotional hurt, with them looking like this it was a wonder that Jack looked on the bright side of life.

"Those creatures took them, dragging them away and leaving us in the dark to hear their cries."

"Dinner." Added Jack absent minded, his positive attitude out of the window and his face so bleak tony was sure the man would pass out.

The other drifter nodded and let out a deep sigh. "That's how it is Mr Stark."

"Tony." The engineer said with a fake hopeful smile on his face, he wasn't happy In the slightest bit but at least he could give the appearance of confidence in the situation. He'd been in worse after all, each time crawling out from under the rubble victorious. This way he could provide the others something to hold on to.

But he needed to get into action fast, his wound still bled slowly and even if nothing vital appeared to be struck it still wasn't safe. Tony's head still throbbed and his chest ached if his breath was too deep.

Jack and Grumpy " for now Tony had decided that was to be the man's name" looked at him expectantly. "Help me get this off guys."

The remaining Avengers headed into Iron Man's direction through the narrow maze of underground tunnels. Bruce guiding them every step of the way from his seat in the tower, a blue glowing model showing him the exact position of each team member except Loki. He had given the man a marker though, a dark green one glowing ahead of the others. Contact with the ex-god was out of the question since there was no way of communication, but the scientist could calculate where he was or should be. And according to his brain the trickster should be around ten to fifteen minutes ahead of the rest, given of course that Loki had a way of remembering the route.

It didn't matter to Bruce who got there any more as long as Tony was alive and more or less healthy. The scientist busted himself on wanting a happy ending out of this situation, both for his friend and the crazy god.

"Look Bruce I know Locke is a mutant but his powers are unstable, he said so himself. I know that he and Tony are in an…euhmm… relationship but."

For a while now the good Captain was trying to convince Bruce how bad his idea of letting Tony's blond assistant go was. Something he knew from the moment Loki ran out of the door. "Look I couldn't stop him from going, not even if I wanted to which I don't. There is no stopping a man with a will to save somebody, I'm sure you know that feeling Captain."

"It just doesn't make sense anymore Bruce."

And finally after an excruciatingly long silence Natasha spoke up. ' You are withholding information, Locke is more then he seems."

"Is this true Bruce, I'm asking you as a friend. Not as captain America please tell us anything that can aid us."

Damn his conscience now, and dammed the fact that he got involved with people. The scientist loathed conflict, he never should have stayed leaving was wiser, hiding was wiser. But his friends had asked him to and real friends where something that came sparse in his hectic life.

"Yes... I mean no, i.' He rubbed his temple and sighed deeply. "Yes, Natasha is right, but trusts me on this he means well. And even if it sounds like I am crazy, it is my opinion that he genuinely cares for tony. Please whatever happened doesn't forget that." The scientist held no illusions those blond locks and blue eyes would not hide Loki for what he was, not now Natasha was ready to delve and dig into his persona. Looking like another did no good when the ex-god had the same kind of traits like the crazed villain they had met.

"You are not telling us what he is, but you believe him capable of helping out." Steve commented." I can go with that, any helping hand is welcome as long as he doesn't get himself killed."

"I can't I do not trust him."

"Neither do I he has to be a rotten egg, Natasha's instinct are rarely wrong."

"I am never wrong Clint."

"Well, I do remember this one time in Budapest when you.

"Clint, I am… never wrong." After the Widow's last words silence fell over the com-line, the last thing Bruce heard were hurried footsteps and his own voice giving directions.

And while Steve's soldier mind accepted his words for now and focused itself solely on advancing in the tunnels. Natasha's mind kept on working, dissolving truth from fiction In the stories she had heard about Tony's tall blond assistant. The lady spider was one hundred percent sure she had never seen the man once; she did not recognise the lines in his face nor the man's blue eyes. Yet a part inside her knew him, a part that was never wrong.

Meanwhile tony had managed with the help of Jack and "good old" grumpy, o remove the obstructing armour plates. Somehow he even had managed to rewire the connection on his right arm, making his glove and the repulsor work again. Frankly in his own eyes it wasn't much but in the eyes of two desperate men it meant the world. "Look for any usable metal parts."

"What do we do with em?"

"I don't know carry them around like a shield or something, it will at least protect you a bit if they decide to attack." _Yeah not so much though._

Right now the genius was more or less trying to clean and study his injuries, in times like this he really missed Jarvis laying out the simple truth. "Well that's going to scar." It was torn and raw, most of the bleeding had stopped but it wasn't pretty. Actually he felt like he could pass out, his body certainly told him to rest and cease all tiring functions. Tony however knew he had to carry on, who knew when those filthy creatures would return.

They would not get him or one of the other two man, not over his dead body.

"Mr Stark?"

"Tony." The engineer added.

"Tony, is anybody else coming? They have to be right?" Asked jack "Daniels" with a hint of childlike hope in his voice.

"They better be coming or I'll kick them out of my tower."

"So nobody might be coming." Noted Grumpy in his earlier moody voice. "They might just leave us all to rot down here, heh, it is kind of funny if you think about it."

Tony raised his eyebrow in question." Please do tell me what is so funny." He dramatically swayed his arm in an overview of the area they were trapped in. "About our lovely situation."

"You, us, it doesn't matter any more. We're all stuck in the same deep shit and in the end we're all the same poor smucks

"Oh come on grumpy cut the depressing nonsense out, wait..."It could be a trick of his mind but Tony swore that somewhere in the distance he heard a sliding noise against the walls.

"shhhhh." He hushed the other two men before they managed to ruin the silence, carefully he covered the blue glow of his arc reactor. It was an unknown approaching, the sound was different from anything Chitauri yet he could not place it's familiar advance. It surely wasn't the ever steady forward pace of Steve, Natasha ,well you would not hear her coming and no matter how still this sound was it was still there. Mindful that it could be a threat anyway he covered the faint blue glow of his arc, there was no point in giving anything hostile more advantage.

It wasn't warm in these depths to begin with but steadily it grew colder, the engineer was sure that they were breathing out small clouds in this chill. Somehow he found this strange frosty sensation calming, but the hairs on his back rose when a thud resounded in the area where stuck in. Something dangerous and eerie stood near them, something akin to a predator. Tony felt an immense cold but familiar touch on his cheek."Lo..." A frozen finger touched his lips urging his silence.

"Fool." Came a cold and hardened voice from the dark, strange otherworldly eyes looking at the genius in an almost loving way. Loki felt content that whatever feeling of relief he portrayed on his face was hidden under the cover of darkness.

* * *

sorry for the slow update's , i will probably post one chapter every 10 days or so. Work schedule it is a bitch but hey a girl has got to make her money right?

thank you guys as always for having the patience to read, for favorite(ing) _is that even a word oO_ or following, you are all appreciated.

Feel free to leave a review those things are food for the soul.

And for those who have asked, Loki actually does have a plan.


	29. Chapter 29

up-dated without a beta first. I know you guys have been waiting long and I really did not feel like letting you wait more.

The chapter will be adjusted after beta, again thank you folks for your patience

disclaimer: I do not own marvel

* * *

Chapter 29

If uninhibited rage and fits of anger released the Hulk, turning Bruce Banner in a grotesque green behemoth. Then a calm calculated fury of the same emotion brought out the monster in Loki, the difference being the control he had over this. No matter how much spite and rage swirled within the trickster he was not blinded by it, in fact he saw things ever so clearly. It wasn't his angered state that mattered, bringing forth the cerulean image of his real self that Loki so despised. It was a desperate feeling within him, one that cared for another's well-being and safety. For even if his boiling temper calmed his skin would remain frigid and blue.

The only upside Loki saw in this effect was that he could yet again wield power, admittedly a different kind of magic then before. But at least he did not turn into a mindless beast whose only concern was to tear up the world around him to tiny bits and pieces. Neither was he weak and human, a fact he greatly appreciated, even if meant dealing with his jotun side. He would gladly embrace it for the moment being, rejection could come again on a later moment. Now his utmost concern was to get Anthony to safety with these powers obtained by birth.

Loki had entered the tunnels slowly, hesitant about his new found skills but eager to test and try everything out. One thing he found out was the reason why the ice giants dressed as simple as they did. Clothing was an unwanted obstruction, freezing around him and hindering his otherwise fluid movements. So he had sacrificed his clothing for the greater good, tearing up his trousers until they were short enough to his liking, the elegant dress shirt was merely discarded along the way.

Swiftly he moved in silence, skills learned through the ages and his nimble lean muscled body helping him as Loki advanced. With each step taken it was as if he was rediscovering magic, learning new things with every heartbeat. The small stream of mucky water slowly freezing if he stopped moving, the moist on the walls icing over at a fingers touch if he willed it so. The cold of his body effectively hiding him from a Chitauri's vision in the dark, something he forgot to mention during his moment of distress in the tower.

Anthony would way it was human to forget, that he should not let it bother him that much. But the god Loki never simply forgot to mention facts, he only hid them under a blanket of carefully placed words. A Chitauri's senses worked differently from that of humans, their eyes did not see colours such as we and the dark didn't hide anything from them. They relied on body heat to distinct friend from foe's and distinct their environment in dark covered places such as here. If Loki had not preformed such a forgetful stunt then perhaps Anthony's fall into the sharp claws of the Chitauri could have been avoided.

These slips of mind should not be the point of his focus now, thought Loki wisely. Instead his focus should be on advancing and further figuring out the finer weaving's of the abilities he was born with but rarely used to his advantage. Not only his temperature dwelled, with it the area around him grew colder. A drop of water could be turned into an ice crystal with ease if he willed it so, a speck of unique perfection in the palm of his hand. His hand traced the slippery wet surface of the putrid stream beneath him, and with natural magic he shaped the moist stream around his hand. The result of this endeavour was a small dagger as sharp as glass, a useful thing in a well-aimed hand such as his.

Loki hated himself for it but he found his inherent Jotun abilities useful now that he had nothing else to use. His Large red pupils caught the light in a different way, any reflection was highlighted and thus he could make out basic shapes admits the darkness of the tunnels.

Here and there scattered around and evident for those who knew what to look for, was the evidence that several Chitauri had crawled along these walls. Not enough for the hive's centre to be near this location; still they could form a problem if you met them head on in this location.

His sense of smell still seemed to be the same, putrid stench lingering in the damp underground roads would put a damper on anybody's sense of smell. His hearing thought appeared to be better in this form then that of a human, Loki had always had the ability to pick out the finer details of hidden conversations. A skill that proved to be ever so useful to him now as Loki heard hushed human whispers coming from not too far away.

It was a hushed husky tone he would never forget even if he tried, Anthony, who was speaking in a calm warning manner. Loki's greatest fear of finding only bloody parts of the man in the tunnels was lifted, instant relief washed over him unwillingly. For he knew the hardest part was yet to come, especially if there were other with Anthony.

With a keen watchful eye he carried on, the further he got the more damage was done to the environment. This must have been the spot were Starks transmission was lost, a torn piece or red metal laying still on the ground confirmed his assumptions. The red streak on the floor however made him fall back into dread; Anthony had been wounded and dragged off roughly. Loki silently followed the trail, nothing more than another shadow or trick of the mind to the naked eye.

At a crossing Loki stopped in his tracks, initially he wanted to carry on forward. The trail of scratch marks headed straight on further into the deep. Yet every instinct he had told the trickster to turn left into a smaller inconspicuous road, one he had nearly had missed.

Let it be known that one should always follow that tingling gut instinct if it tells you to do something. Loki could distinct a deep sigh in the darkness, and upon coming closer he could vaguely see the blurry outlining of three human bodies.

Softly Loki knelt down on his knees next to Anthony, who was still feigning sleep or unconsciousness badly, for Loki heard his rapid breathing all too clearly. His closeness and possibly the cold he brought made the eccentric genius shiver ever so slightly, an eyebrow raised in curiosity and Anthony opened his tired eyes staring straight at him even in this darkness. A strange emotion flowed over Loki that moment, something pure and precious as the engineer still managed to smile brightly at him in his wounded state.

"Lo.."

"Fool" Loki said softly it surprised him to hear the kindness in his own voice as his fingertips caressed Anthony's cheek. Carefully he removed the plate covering the arc reactor, blue light seeping in the small damp enclose the men were stuck in. Loki's monstrous appearance made the two homeless men gasp, but Anthony made a small notion with his hand giving an OK signal.

"Silence, all of you." Loki whispered in a stern voice without any merit, even Pepper would have considered not talking back to the man with a tone like that in his voice. Still it was a surprise they listened, especially Anthony who under normal circumstances would have objected to any that Loki held their attention he continued speaking in a barely audible whisper. "Firstly I will unbind you all. Secondly, you will all hold still and refrain from running or unnecessary noises. It will only get you killed. Thirdly i cannot get you out of here all three at once, only one by one can I help you reach a safer perimeters. Not far from here there is a ladder going up one level, I calculated that the other Avengers will come through that pass. I'll help you reach it until they can get you to safety."

"Get them out first." Asked Anthony who's pain could be heard in his words and the way he spoke, as if breathing was difficult and painful. Resolve burned deeply in those warm brown eyes however, letting Loki know that disagreement would resolve in a loud argument. This is what caring for other did to you, it made you weak towards lives that were less important. As if the genius saw the doubt in Loki's crimson eyes he said. " I'll manage until the rest is here."

Loki gave a nod of agreement even if his insides burned with worry of what could happen when he left the engineer to his own devices. But now was not the time to fret, they needed to move on as fast and silent as their feet could carry them. A small sturdy metal chain was set around each of their feet, no opening or lock could be seen on it, otherwise, Loki figured, Anthony's would already be off. Not knowing if it would work, but confident in his new found skills the trickster set out to work on releasing the three men from their bounds.

"Stay still." With the pure force of will Loki tried concentrating the cold in his hand, hoping to reach a temperature cold enough to burn. Jack hissed in surprise at the freezing temperature so close to his body, thankfully the man stayed still otherwise his ankle would have blackened by frostbite. Under his touch the metal started to crumble ever so slowly, until there was a hole big enough to pull it off. His heritage was proving to be quite useful in this situation, the feel of this cold living magic inside him still felt awkward. But Loki once again held power in his grasp that was all what mattered now. The other two shackles fell easier, as if his control and aim improved as he used it.

As still as the exhausted and obviously undernourished man could, Jack stood up. His legs were weak but steady as he held himself upright for the first time in days. "Stay close." Loki calculated that his cold would throw off or disrupt the Chitauri's vision if they came face to face with them

Meekly the emaciated man Loki knew to be Jack " Daniels", a friend of Bob, followed his guidance in silence never further away from him then a few small footsteps. When they were around the corner, Loki chilled the air surrounding his "acquaintance" frost grabbing Jack's clothing as the edges slowly froze. It was too cold for a human to bear it for long, but all he needed was the chill cloak of safety covering the both of them for these tension filled minutes. The homeless man would endure the temperature, anything was better than the more cruel fate of falling into alien claws.

Loki had to admit though that even in this cold dark underground, faced with despair and a hopeless end. That Humans appeared to keep their faith, even now Jack followed him without complaints. This person had simply trusted him and placed all hope for a future live in Loki's 'hands without asking any questions. Sooner rather than later they reached an open valve, a simple metal ladder leading upwards.

"Go up and wait." Loki said in a calm voice, his sentence barely more than a gust of wind coming from his mouth.

Jack gave a nod in compliance and stepped up the long ladder. Loki turned set on swiftly heading back to get the man dubbed "Grumpy" by Anthony when Jack spoke to him.

"Thanks Locke."

For not one minute had Loki guessed that in this horrid form he could be recognized as the human Locke. Let alone that he would ever get a simple thanks from a stranger like that.

The journey back was uneventful, and like Jack the other homeless man followed him. Albeit less willingly then Jack, this older man was more on edge. Not that anybody could blame him for this, but their pace was much slower. And Loki could be wrong but he swore he could fill something stirring to life in the deep below them. Still to far away to form a direct threat, but close enough to notice something wrong.

In the end it was another successful safe arrival for the man, whose real name was Herbert, Loki remembered it vaguely from before. Jack smiled kindly at them and extended a hand, helping the other human up towards relative safety. It was a matter of seconds or minutes before any of the other Avengers would be arriving to guide these people back to the surface.

All he needed to do now was gent Anthony out of this maze as hasted as he could; in the distance far away Loki heard a bone-chilling screech. How foolish of him to think everything could go all right for once in his life, he blames his human side for these hopeless ignorant feelings. He headed back into the dark tunnels, risking his life, or what was left of it now that his cover was partially blown, to get the brown-haired engineer out. The last inch of faith he held crumbled down with an antagonizing fear as he heard a familiar blast in the distance.

His pace turned into a forward sprint, when panic overtook him. " Anthony!" His shout bounced off the walls, an echo being carried further into the distance. Loki's agility carries him off like the wind, the only thought he had consisted of the genius whose repulsor blast he had heard.

* * *

Well there went his first and only shot with the partially restored armour around his arm. Tony's defective repulsor wouldn't fire again for a while, not until he could crawl back into his workshop and fix it. At least the one Chitauri entering their place of keep was nothing but a dead sack of meat on the ground. Its already ugly mug a bloody pulp of goo, Tony could not decide if it was an improvement or not. He had heard the worried echo of Loki calling out to him clearly, his heart was lost be the emotions in that voice. Tony wondered, as he slowly got up, if the trickster knew how he sounded. With years of practice at ignoring the eccentric genius willed away the pain of the flesh-wound in his back. The throbbing of his head was no worse than a regular good 'old hangover, he'd had worse. With the support of the wall closest to him, the blue light of the arc reactor as a guidance to were his feet stopped. Tony got moving, the Chitauri's noise would have alerted any nearby other, so he could not offered to stay put and wait like a good little boy. It was not his style anyway.

Judging from the sound of Loki calling out his name it could not have been far, even if it was the last thing he did he had to reach the owner of that voice. Many things were left unspoken between them, only acted out in passionate kisses and heated strokes on each other bodies. Tony would not let Loki get taken away from him, not by himself, the other Avengers or fucking aliens.

_Fuck, I really fell in love with that bastard._

Around a curved corner he crashed head-first into the cold, exotic body of Loki.

"Stark!" If he could have seen, Tony, would notice that the Loki's eyes held an honest warmth at seeing his bearded face alive.

"What? No welcome kiss? Because I deserve one and you know it highness." Tony panted, he tried to grin but all he did was let out a hiss of paid at the effort. " Don't look at me like that I'm fine, just slain a dragon and all for you."

"Anthony stop joking and let me aid you." Or as Tony heard it, _shut-up and let me drag you to the nearest exist._

Hesitantly Loki wrapped an arm around him, giving him better support then the wall over could. The cold emitting from that gorgeous blue skin was enveloping him, Tony found it strangely comforting. It even lightened the dull pain in his head, which was enough for now. Medical care could come later if it was needed at all, Jarvis could scan his body for cracked ribs better then any doctor.

On the other side of the tunnel rose voices, still faint but clear and steadfast heading their way. In their back they could hear the rising eerie sounds or several Chitauri following their trail, scaled warriors agitated by escaped prey.

A wailing shriek together with the click of a weapon being readied for use sounded to close for comfort. Loki looked back and saw the first of the Aliens crawl in rage towards them, ready to strike when both of them were in its reach. The rest would no doubt follow its lead and come rushing in any second now.

The sound of steady firm footsteps, and leather boots standing still in a battle stance, confirmed the good Captains arrival. " Tony, Locke, Duck now!" Hailing the given command instantly Loki fell to the ground, falling first to shield the engineer from the hard ground. Above their faces, only a strand of hair away, Captain America's shield cut through the air. Bouncing off the wall at incredible speed towards it target. It left a faint silver colored trail in the air , the Chitauri had no chance at surviving even if it was a well-seasoned warrior.

With a fluid zigzag motion the starred shield made its way back to Captain America.

"Locke is Tony all right?" Asked Rogers, while he steadily ran the short distance towards them, ready to aid in any way possible.

"I'm not dead yet Cap, don't you know by now I'm nearly impossible to kill." Both of them noticed the trouble is cost Anthony to push himself up from the ground. Neither of them spoke a word about it for it would most likely end up in an unending discussion with the genius.

Before Loki had a change of helping Anthony get back on his own two feet, the job was taken from him by Captain America. Who just lifted the engineer from the ground before the eccentric man could form a protest.

"A piggy back ride, seriously Spangles what am I five years old?"

"You are not fit enough to walk."

"I was walking just fine before, so what the hell are you doing."

Rogers sighed. "Locke was obviously supporting you Tony." The soldiers blue eyes turned to him. "Thank you that, and for saving those other two lives as well. You are a good citizen."

"Were are they". Loki wondered what happened to the men so he inquired immediately, even if it was uncharacteristically of him. Even Anthony looked at him in a strange way while they moved on, gradually heading to were the ladder reached upwards.

"Thor flew or took them out, it was the fasted way. I'm guessing that their under-cooled temperature had something to do with you?"

"It was a necessity , a precaution not to get caught. Anthony would not budge from his spot before they both reached safety." Loki could feel the engineer roll his eyes at these words.

"As if you'd break your promise to Bob and…"The scurry of footsteps or claw marks, whatever one wanted to call that scraping sound heading towards them. Marked the imminent arrival of some of the other Chitauri warriors. "I'm not made of porcelain Cap, for crying out loud run! You ass-hole."

Loki looked over his shoulder, behind them hot on their trail were the enraged aliens catching up to them. Thankfully nobody had closed the hatch leading up and out into the larger more open area. Rogers made Anthony go first even if the man protested loudly, Loki did not voice it but he was thankful for that. Even if the genius could be a formidable opponent in his suit, without it he was naught but a "simple" man without a defence The good Captain looked at him expectantly. "No, I will slow them down my selves. Get him out first."

It was still a frightening thing, caring for another. The things you did to ensure their safety was nothing but idiotic, Loki should not be concerned about Anthony. He should be worried about his own hide, and the way these humans would strip him off it once they found out who he truly was. Once the Captains red boots were out of sight Loki reached inward, his left hand touching the humid wall while the other flicked, making the sharp ice dagger appear.

* * *

Once up Steve looked down, worried about the inexperienced Locke. What he saw however was so far from a clumsy mutant unfamiliar of afraid of power. Tony's assistant's movements were those of a man who had learned combat moves. His stance was steady and sure and Steve knew he should remember it from somewhere.

"Locke get up now!" He shouted in a command, hoping that the man would listen and see the clear advantage presented.

From his vantage point above Steve saw Locke threw back his hair, blond lock following the nimble movement as he evaded a well-aimed shot. The good soldier even felt the chill in the air rise as Locke climbed to their level.

A loud boom crackling in the damp air around them noted him of Thor's arrival back."'Thor get Tony to the hospital as well."

"No I am not leaving him with you." Stated Tony in immediate defence, it did not escape Steve that his friend was in fact more worried about Locke then himself.

"I do not have time to argue Tony, Thor take him out of here!."

"No, get your hands off me thunder boy." Thor was clearly confused by their conflicting words, standing their like a solid brick wall waiting until one of them made up their minds.

Behind them Locke caught up with them, the hatch encased in frost. From under it you heard a inhuman howl, a signal or command given to the rest of those hideous creatures. A gun was fired, but for now the hatch did not budge. Locke strange inhuman eyes shone like those of a predator, a single shard of ice was readied in his hand. The tall man had a feral look, Steve did not doubt for a second that the item clutched in that hand could be deadly.

"Tony please, don't make this harder." Natasha and Clint streamed in from one of the tunnels, bow and gun ready to strike fast and accurately.

With a large blast the ice cracked, sending the hatch together with some stone rubble flying away. Locke muttered something that sounded like a foul curse word in a language he did not understand.

The gap left in the stone flooring by the explosion beneath was wide enough to fit several men, or in this case a small but rather experienced group of hostile Chitauri's.

A well-aimed arrow knocked out the first to rise from the dust, behind it the second one reacted speeding up towards Hawkeye forcing the bow-man to engage in close combat. Natasha was already fiercely fighting, her fiery red hair a violent blur as she moved on the battle field. Steve readied his stance, feet firmly on the ground and body in perfect balance. His arm in the right angle and curve to throw the shield forward at incredible velocity. When he turned to strike however Steve stopped dead in his tracks.

Midst the stone gravel and dust settling down, Tony's assistant must have found a long pipe. The metal bar was frozen over with ragged edged and a sharp almost transparent blade at the end. A weapon meant to kill and pierce while keeping distance from your opponent. Steve could not questions or hesitate, the battle stance Locke had assumed was all too familiar now.

"Loki."

Even with the sounds or fighting covering his voice the remaining Avengers reacted to the called name. Clint did so with something that sounded like a snarl, ominous look on his face foreboding a want for vengeance. Hawkeye still held a grudge for having his free will taken from him. The black widow almost raised an eyebrow in disapproval, but her focus remained on the chitauri who was facing her swift strikes.

Locke or Loki managed a cold red-eyed stare in his direction before Anthony caught his eye. "Thor get Anthony out now." There was no mistaking that tone now for anything else then the trickster's voice.

Tony protested wildly and it struck £Steve that his friend had known all along. Maybe not at first but right now he was well aware what identity his lover really had. "Don't you dare lay a finger on him! Any of you!" It was all to clear who tony was trying to protect with his words, Steve had to admit that he felt hurt by all this secrecy.

The only upside that this time Thor listened, before tony could voice his displeasure any further the Asgardian swung his hammer and vanished. Leaving the remaining three Avengers, seven Chitauri and Loki stranded in the open underground space together. Make that six enemies facing them, the strength of Steve's vibranium shield smacking into one with the power of his super soldier's muscle behind it decimated one foe.

"Chitauri first." Captain America said in commanded. Steve had noted that Clint kept his eyes on Loki ever since Locke's cover was blown. And he really needed his team's focus on the Alien warriors right now, Loki appeared to fight alongside them in this battle.

The god's self-made spear pierced one of their foes in the armpit, with a twist and turn Loki drew it out violently. A loud painful crack signalled broken bones under that organic like armour and the Chitauri lunged forward out of spite and rage. Steve noticed that with a single calculated step Loki evaded it perfectly, but it cost a toll. This time Loki looked exhausted, just like any other human would. That didn't stop the other man from swinging the spear swiftly now that the Chitauri was within his reach; the strike disabled that hideous being in one graceful movement.

One down, five more to go.

Meanwhile Natasha the fierce Russian redhead had fought and manoeuvred her way to Steve's side casting a sideways glance in his direction.

"Afterwards?" Inquired the Black Widow mid-battle guns raised and aiming.

Steve turns and steadied his feet, effectively blocking an alien gunshot aimed towards her with his shield. "We bring him in, without harm."

It was still hard to believe that the calm collected and sometimes humorous Locke was in fact none other than Loki, the chaotic mad god who had sought to either destroy or subject them all. Steve somehow doubted that the Asgardian would use whatever power he had at his disposal on them, somehow it didn't add up with what he knew. For now he hoped, that was all he could do.

Two rapid gunshots blasted from Natasha's weapons, bringing down the number of foes by one. That fourth Chitauri sank down lifeless on the dust filled floor, its jaw fractured and swollen. Her own face, Steve noted, carried a large bruise, not that it would ever hinder the widow in a fight. If anything it might even make her more alert and dangerous.

Steve raised his shield and blocked a clawed punch; the vibrations of metal on metal ran through his body like a song. With practiced moves he moved forward, throwing fast punches to confuse his opponent. When the creature thought he saw an opening in them it reached out , only to be met by the shield again. The Chitauri warrior had made a rookie mistake, and bared his sides to an enemy. A few hard devastating shots to its ribs, or whatever these creatures had, made his foe stagger backwards.

One of loki's daggers apparently struck it from behind, in surprise the alien reached backwards to try and get a hold of the sharp ice. Another well struck uppercut from Steve made an end to its miserable life. His blue eyes strayed, to Loki, who had helped. In return he met cold red uncaring eyes, as if the man tried to deal with his aid being an "accidental" issue. Not for a second did Steve believe this cold exterior anymore, not if this was the same man who he'd acquainted over these last weeks.

Hugely outnumbered the last two tried to crawl back from the hole whence they came, back into the dark and damp tunnels. A clear gunshot solved one escape; the Chitauri fell down the black hole lifeless. The very last standing alien hissed viciously in rage over his fallen comrades. They had probably expected lesser or fewer enemies than this.

Its blacked beady eyes focused on Steve, Natasha and the blue vision of Loki. An arrow struck it right through the throat, leaving out Hawkeye and his perfected aim proved to be the greatest mistake of its unlucky life. Just like that it was over; the noise of battle died down and settled in an uncomfortable silence.

Steve looked over his team, with the exception of himself they all had minor injuries . They all seemed to be out of breath, of course Natasha didn't show it, she never did. Bruises that would darken in time, small cuts and scratches on forearms or face. It was a price each of them gladly paid for a battle ending well, given time it would heal over anyway.

Unlike emotional damage that festered and burned like a bad infection, damage on the mind never cleared as easily as physical wounds. Steve's clear blue eyes turned to Clint whose rapid breaths foreboded nothing good. The archer still held his bow, knuckles turning white from te strength used in his desperate grasp. Steve had seen enough good men blinded by sudden rage on the battlefield; they turned crazy like rabid dogs. Nothing pleasant or good ever came from such situations, usually people ended up imprisoned, injured or dead.

A quick glance towards the Black Widow and she was on her way. "Clint lower your weapon." Captain America had spoken clearly, it was an order to be followed under all circumstances.

Hawkeye's stare just seemed to intensify as he took in Loki's new form from head to toe. "You." The word was almost spit out.

Steve had never expected to see Loki so beat down and tired. Even with this blue hue covering up any blemishes, the good soldier knew they were there from Loki's stance. The Asgardian, or god as they called themselves, looked more human then he'd ever been. Even if he obviously was anything but.

"I believe the old endearment you used was either master or a polite sir." Said Loki mockingly, taunting the already aggressive archer who so desperately wanted pay-back. Steve inwardly cursed fowl words at this reply. Things were getting messy and soon out of control if he could not handle the situation.

"Not anymore you fucking bastards." Clint even managed a soft painful laugh in between his sentences. " Look at you, you're pathetic. No better than the rest of these monsters."

Steve wasn't mistaken for a split second only Loki's eyes had a very humane hurt in them, before turning back into that cold crimson stare. "I'm a far greater monster."

Both Steve and Natasha saw that daring grin, both saw the flash of anger on Clint's face. Neither could act fast enough to stop his fingers from releasing the strained arrow ready on his bow. It was a rather special arrow created by Tony on Hawkeye's request. A cruel item meant to immediately disable the opponent instead of killing it. Once it had burrowed itself in the flesh it split open into several fish-hook like shapes. Right now it had struck Loki in his previously healed shoulder; Clint definitely wanted the trickster to feel pain.

Loki's scream of pain appeared to snap the Hawk out of his trance. Steve rushed in to help, or in this case, avoid that the man tried to pull out the arrow in a reflex. He snapped off the weapons length, for now it was all that Steve could do. The wound bled an angry red and it would not surprise the super soldier if bones were fractured under that cerulean skin.

"That was a low blow Clint." Noted Natasha coldly. "unneeded."

Steve was surprised at the cold; it wasn't trying to bite at his fingers any longer. Slowly it seeped out of Loki's body, just as the foreign marks and strange body colour did. Before long the exotic feral like being Loki had appeared to be vanished into thin air, making way for a blond man in obvious pain. Blood streamed from the wound in his shoulder, cuts coved his bare legs and feet caused by walking bare foot in the sewer and underground tunnels. A soft purple shade on his side betrayed a nasty bruise that would turn green, blue and yellow within a day.

Captain America turned a bit pale when restraining Loki from reaching the foreign object in his shoulder. This was a man that had saved three lives, of which one was Steve's best friend. Loki had rescued Tony before they could, only because he wanted the eccentric genius safe.

"We need to get him help." Both Clint and Natasha nodded a yes, they saw the same as his blue eyes did. A regular human man, Loki was no longer the deity he used to be. And before any of them could ask why or how this new strange Loki needed his injuries tended. Steve settled on carrying him out, it wasn't like the ex-god could cause harm now.

When the last three Avengers walked out of the underground, breathing in the fresh cold night's air. S.H.I.E.L.D. awaited them, ready to take Loki into custody.

* * *

As always thank you for the patience of waiting for another chapter to read.

I hope you guys enjoy this one as much as you did the rest.

Feel free to leave some food for the souls! ( reviews)


	30. Chapter 30

disclaimer: i do not own the avengers

**Occurus superbia chapter 30**

Tony was at the hospital, the same one as back then when he had unintentionally caused a car accident with his reckless behavior The same one Bob was admitted to; at least Thor had managed to bring him somewhere familiar. Not that he had any plans on staying here obediently; certainly the engineer had better things to do.

Protecting Loki from him own stubbornness for instance.

_Whoa, who would have ever thought I would utter such a sentence._

The first doctor that was rushing in with a stethoscope waving around his neck got the full load of his anger. "Thor put me down, and you!" His wild brown eyes flashed towards the young doctor. " Don't you dare come closer, the last thing I need is a doctor prying at me." Well obviously he did his limp clearly visible now that Thor had finally let his feet touch the floor. There wasn't any use in hiding the angry red wound; it had already caught the healer's eyes.

"Surely you kid Man of iron, even warrior's such as us need to tend their wounds." For fuck's sake why did the Asgardian have to talk with such a loud voice? Tony swore he could hear his head ringing and spontaneously split open from the booming noise Thors vocal cords produced.

The pristine white hospital wall was used to steady himself, one hand grabbing the metal bar while the other sought out the cool spotless surface of the wall. Because who was he kidding, if it wasn't for some sort of support he would probably end up in a undignified position on the floor. One that could not be blamed on large quantities of alcohol, a midnight encounter or a "Pepper you've seen me do worse". Somehow in Tony's mind none of these were as embarrassing as un-heroically falling on the floor in a public hospital, just because his legs refused to take him elsewhere. Still he moved forward relentlessly still dead set on getting his way, even if he knew better by now. Leaving dull, mucky grey hand prints on the clean walls, behind him.

Even in his state he managed to cast a rather impressive "do not fuck with me" glance to the young approaching physician, who staggered in his footsteps and brought his eyes down to the ground. Tony's supposed victory was short lived as a more experienced nurse came into view. And by experienced the engineer meant a mean looking elderly woman who would take shit from nobody, not even Tony Stark. He admired her guts though, especially since she was bringing in a wheelchair.

"Don't you dare." Tony warned, he wasn't an invalid yet, no way in hell was that damn nurse getting him in that chair in front of the already gathering public.

"Friend Anthony." Thor sounded awfully quit and worried compared to normal; Tony could feel a large hand holding him up, supporting him when his legs wanted to give up.

The young doctor rushed in, gone with his earlier hesitance caused by the snarky comments from the genius, encouraged by the no-nonsense nurse. Thor somehow managed to clear out the hallway, strangers, people standing by just to watch hoping for a spectacle left. God's could be menacing after all. Worried lines crossed the doctor's face, Tony even saw a flash of panic in the man.

_Why was the floor so close?_

There was something in his arm, a foreign object that did not belong there. If Tony could stretch and reach out he could scratch the burning itch or pull it out. Not that it mattered his body wasn't reacting anyhow, the needle in his wrist was there to stay. Blurred movements around him told Tony he was on a stretcher; being moved to gods knows what room in the hospital. Panic filled him now, it was a public hospital after all, these doctors where not his own. None of them knew what truly laid deep in his chest, and what a single wrong movement could induce. A faint noise escapes from his lips, it was supposed to be a warning. Slowly he started drifting off again, the last thing he heard was the familiar clacking of high heels on the floor.

"Pepper."

Tony Hoped he passed out charmingly and not like a drooling half-wit, after all there was a reputation to uphold.

Everything smelled like stale disinfectant when he woke-up, this meant he wasn't in his own quarters. Home did not smell so gruesomely bad, oil, sweat and sex held a much richer and preferred aroma. The sheets around him were uncomfortable, wrinkle and kind of damp, which tony assumes was probably because of his own sweat. His eyelids struggled to open for a moment, eventually though he could start to see basic shapes in the environment. One of them distinctly human shaped and impatiently talking to a doctor.

"hum.." Great, smooth opening line Tony.

"Tony!" That relieved feminine voice belonged to no other then Pepper, right now it was comforting to hear. However his heart gave a loud beat of longing for another voice.

"Don't even think about trying to get up." Tony really didn't

"I should have known it wasn't over, these visits to the hospital, constantly worried if you're going to make it or not. Sometimes I think you're meant to give me heart attacks, as a way to keep me on my toes."

Gradually his eyes adjusted to the blinding white light in the room, after blinking a few times he took in his surroundings, and her. Pepper had been crying, her eyes were red and swollen from spilled tears. She must have seen the surprise in his eyes, because Pepper gave him one of those soft almost motherly smiles.

"It is rude to stare Tony."

Pepper was a strong woman, maybe even one of the strongest he knew. She did not break down into tears of worry for him just because he broke a leg. Whatever it was that upset her like this, it was serious business.

"How bad is it?" Her long feminine finger ran through her hair as she sighed and he scraped his throat. "Give me the entire unedited version."

"What is the last you remember?"

"Elegantly passing out on the hospital floor." Said Tony while smiling.

"Due to severe blood loss." Pepper noted with a huff of annoyance."You were almost gone Tony. When I saw you like that, again…..it, it hurts to see you like that. I called in your personal doctor and Bruce before I arrived here. Dr. Banner brought one of your spare arc reactors, in case we needed to replace it." Tony touched his chest feeling the cold metal object through his shirt, it still emitted a steady healthy glow.

"Thank god it was still in one piece, I don't think you would have survived any more trauma then you already had. You had internal damage to your organs, a punctured lung, severe head trauma, a few cracked ribs, dislocated shoulder ,a mean cut on your abdomen, cuts and bruises. To be fair you looked like a torn rag doll. It took four hours just to stop your insides from bleeding but eventually they did it, again you were brought back from hanging over the edge."

He let her speak, listening to every words she said. Tony had been through worse, maybe not physically but mentally. Torture usually meant being conscious while they did things to you. Still he felt the pain and ache while breathing, Tony Stark was one lucky son of a bitch. His eyes perceived his hands, the last time even in the darkness he had felt and seen the small cuts caused by torn metal. Now his hands were clean and covered with already fading and healing scabs.

"How long was I out?" And more importantly what happened to Loki while he was out.

"Approximately five days, they kept you asleep to heal."

"I need to go back to the tower."_ I need to find out what happened._

"You can have that discussion with Bruce and the doctor; I think they'll let you though under certain conditions."

God he hated conditions, it was a word that never meant any good. In the end he would either talk his way out or smile a "yes" while breaking the promise five minutes after walking out. One important question remained lingering in his mouth to ask, Tony wondered how much Pepper already knew about Loki, probably everything.

"I don't know where he is Tony, now go back to sleep you look awful." Leave it to Pepper to read him like an open book.

She walked out the door, leaving him alone in the vacant white room. Well vacant except for the giant bouquet of flowers that said "get well soon man of iron" written in caps, the entire team's signatures were on it. With the exception of the strict, elegantly written signature belonging to one Locke Ladislav. Unconsciously his body started to listen to Pepper's words and before Tony had time to realize it, his body sank into the still state of sleep.

His dreams filled with thoughts of Loki.

* * *

First of all i would like to apologize for the almost 2 month wait for a new chapter, and a short one at that. It was supposed to be a longer one but i cut it into two pieces, maybe this will allow me to post more now and then. If you want ( and it is greatly appreciated , you can always tell me in a review or pm if you would rather have 1. more regular updates but smaller chapter or 2. slower but longer chapters ( as they were intended to be)

Secondly i would like to re-ensure you guys that i am definitely not stopping this story.

Due to personal and work related issues i have not been able to find time to write, as much fun and joy as it brings me there are more important things in life then fanfiction. After this i will have free time again ( fuck yeah!).

I just have a crazy deadline due in July that i need to make, and i would like to get that finished before anything else. Hence my extreme slow updating ( i know i deserve a kick in the arse).

Thank you for the patience, i know it is almost inhumane of me to let you wait like this :c.


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